Surface morphology evolution of Si(110) by ion sputtering as a function of sample temperature

Si(110) surface morphology evolution under normal-incident Ar⁺ ion sputtering has been studied as a function of Si temperature with the ion energy of 1.5keV and the ion flux 20μA/cm². During temperature rising from room temperature to 800℃, Si(110) surface morphology changes from a dim dot/hole pattern to a distinct dot one, meanwhile the surface roughness increases steadily. The usually-accepted Bradley--Harper model fails to explain these data. By taking into account the Ehrlich--Schwoebel effect in the nanostructuring process, a simulation work was conducted based on a continuum dynamic model, which reproduces the experimental results.