Ion-beam thinning. An atomistic view by molecular dynamics simulations

The purpose of this study is to offer a view of ion beam thinning at atomistic level. Therefore, a computer simulation of the type molecular dynamics is used to study the evolution of a stepped silicon surface undergoing ion bombardment. According to the methods used in radiation damage studies, the effect of the impinging beam is described by constructing a large ensemble of trajectories of displaced silicon atoms. The effects of the beam parameters, such as energy and angle, as well as the ones arising from the surface topography, are obtained from the properties of this ensemble. The results of the simulations are discussed in the light of the mesoscopic models of surface evolution.