Surface reconstruction of sapphire at the atomic scale via chemical-physical tuning of atmospheric plasma

Abstract

Atomic surface manufacturing is strongly required for cutting-edge applications in semiconductor and quantum engineering but suffers from the limited surface accuracy of conventional abrasive finishing processes. In this article, surface reconstruction via chemical-physical tuning of atmospheric plasma is proposed for atomic surface manufacturing of single-crystal materials. An ultrasmooth surface of sapphire with Sa 0.06 nm can be achieved through atom-selective etching enabled by the chemical mode of plasma. A uniform step-terrace structure can be formed by atomic reconstruction through the physical mode of plasma. This study provides a new strategy for atomic surface manufacturing of single-crystal materials.