Abstract
A general theory of the development of surface topography of three-dimensional systems as a result of sputtering erosion and related processes is given. The theory is based upon a treatment of the surface as an advancing wavefront with spatio-temporally variable wavefront velocity appropriate to anisotropic, inhomogeneous media. The relevance of the theory to cases of stratified substrates, including polycrystals, dislocated crystals and contaminated surfaces, and to spatially scanned ion fluxes or substrates and rotated substrates is shown and a specific example of erosion at a grain boundary explored in detail.
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