Analysis of a solid-on-solid type block model for particle redeposition in ion-beam erosionprocesses under normal incidence

Abstract

In this paper we present and investigate a simple yet physically plausible solid-on-solid typeblock model for the redeposition of eroded particles during ion-beam erosion processesunder normal ion incidence. This model, which is based on a more general versionpresented in an earlier study, focuses on the very essential aspects of what one willcommonly associate with the redeposition of sputtered particles. Other potential surfaceeffects such as the Bradley–Harper mechanism are thus not taken account of. Additionally,the model is kept one-dimensional for reasons of simplicity. We introduce that model indetail, and then discuss its properties thoroughly. In particular, we show how todecouple the erosion and redeposition component in the formal description of theevolution process of the sputtered surfaces in order to derive a semi-analyticalcontinuum approximation for both the erosion and the redeposition subprocess.The latter is investigated at length, and eventually a connection is drawn to thenon-locally stabilized Kuramoto–Sivashinsky equation to discuss the potentialrole of particle redeposition as the physical origin of the damping term in thatequation.