Self-Organized Pattern Formation during Ion Bombardment Karl F. Ludwig, Trustees of Boston University, DMR 1006538

During ion bombardment, material surfaces can spontaneously develop nanoscale patterns, or instead be ultra-smoothened (ion polished). Understanding this remark-able behavior is important to control a wide variety of industrial processes. Moreover, if the self-organized formation of nanostruc-tures by ion bombardment can be under-stood and exploited, it offers a route to the inexpensive large area fabrication of nanoscale structures.

We are using in-situ synchrotron based Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle X-ray Scat-tering (GISAXS) to investigate the kinetics of nanostructure growth. Comparisons with theory are making possible definitive conclusions about the mechanisms driving the pattern formation.

Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 066101 (2011).

Above: Growth of x-ray scattering peaks due to formation of nanorip-ples on silicon during ion bombardment.

Right: The growth rates Sx,y in the directions parallel (x-direction) and perpendicular (y-direction) to the ions are compared to model predictions.

200nm

Materials Education and Resource Development Through Research into Nanopatterning via Ion Bombardment Karl F. Ludwig, Trustees of Boston University, DMR 1006538

This project has supported the education of Physics doctoral student Eitan Anzenberg, and Mechanical Engineering undergraduate student Connor Mace through their research on nanoscale pattern formation during ion bombardment. During summer 2010, Michael Rochlin, a high school student from New Jersey, also worked with us on the project. All students are getting a broad exposure to current materials science problems and techniques in a collaborative environment.

Through the role that our research program plays at the NSLS synchro-tron, the PI has also become the spokesperson for a new beamline that will serve the broader materials science community at the new NSLS-II synchro-tron now under construction.Physics graduate student Eitan Anzenberg is doing

his doctoral dissertation research on this project.