Ion–surface interactions during thin film deposition

Abstract

The interactions of ion beams with surfaces are strongly dependent on the incident kinetic energy and the amount of ionic charge. Fundamental effects of ion bombardment by atomic and cluster ion beams have been elucidated in terms of kinetic energy of the ion beams. These fundamental effects include enhancement of adatom migration, desorption of physically absorbed atoms, displacement of the surface atoms, sputtering, shallow ion implantation, and trapping of impinging atoms. The importance of low energy ion beams for film formation is shown by taking into account the binding energies of the atoms in a solid. Emphasis has been placed on interactions of ionized cluster beams (ICB) during film formation because ICB offers unique capabilities for deposition due to the properties of the clusters and also to characteristic low energy ion beam transport over a range from thermal energy to a few hundred eV.