Transformations of Micron-Sized PbTe Surface Structures Induced by Low Energy Ions

Zayachuk, D. M. and Zayachuk, Y. D. and Hunyadi, M. and Slynko, V. E. and Csík, A. (2021) Transformations of Micron-Sized PbTe Surface Structures Induced by Low Energy Ions. JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE AND SOLID-STATE CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, 883. pp. 1-11. ISSN 0925-8388 (print); 1873-4669 (online)

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Abstract

Formation and transformation of micron-sized structures on PbTe crystal surfaces under impact of low energy Ar+ ions is studied. New phenomena occurring due to interaction of energetic ions and atoms forming the main crystallographic planes of solid crystalline compounds, namely the transformation of ion-induced conical structures into pyramidal ones and the formation of facets of the micropyramids with well-ordered ripples during the process of transformation are revealed. We show that conical-pyramidal transformations occur on any PbTe sputtering surface, but the shape of pyramidal structures depends on the surface crystallographic orientation. If the pyramid originates from the ion-induced conical structure on PbTe target of (100) orientation it has the tetrahedral shape and its facets are covered with pronounced well-ordered ripples arranged in parallel to the base of the pyramid and closed at its edges. We show that: (i) micro-sized conical structures ion-induced on PbTe surface are transformed into pyramidal ones due to the tendency of the PbTe compound to the easy cleavage along crystallographic planes of high reticular density; (ii) the well-ordered ripples on the facets of the tetrahedral pyramids forming from conical structures appear due to self-organization of {111} and {110} crystallographic planes shaping pyramidal facets.

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