Roughening instability and ion-induced viscous relaxation of SiO2 surfaces

Abstract

We characterize the development of nanometer scale topography (roughness) on SiO₂ surfaces as a result of low energy, off‐normal ion bombardment, using in situ energy dispersive x‐ray reflectivity and atomic force microscopy. Surfaces roughen during sputtering by heavy ions (Xe), with roughness increasing approximately linearly with ion fluence up to 10¹⁷ cm⁻². A highly coherent ripple structure with wavelength of 30 nm and oriented with the wave vector parallel to the direction of incidence is observed after Xe sputtering at 1 keV. Lower frequency, random texture is also observed. Subsequent light ion (H, He) bombardment smoothens preroughened surfaces. The smoothing kinetics are first order with ion fluence and strongly dependent on ion energy in the range 0.2–1 eV. We present a linear model to account for the experimental observations which includes roughening both by random stochastic processes and by development of a periodic surface instability due to sputter yield variations with surface curvature which leads to ripple development. Smoothing occurs via ion bombardment induced viscous flow and surface diffusion. From the smoothing kinetics with H and He irradiation we measure the radiation enhanced viscosity of SiO₂ and find values on the order of 1–20×10¹² N s m⁻². The viscous relaxation per ion scales as the square root of the ion induced displacements in the film over the range of the ion penetration, suggesting short‐lived defects with a bimolecular annihilation mechanism. The surface instability mechanism accounts for the ripple formation, while inclusion of stochastic roughening produces the random texture and reproduces the observed linear roughening kinetics and the magnitude of the overall roughness.