Surface structure modification of single crystal graphite after slow, highly charged ion irradiation

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 2018-04, Vol.420, p.23-26
• Main Authors: Alzaher, I., Akcöltekin, S., Ban-d’Etat, B., Manil, B., Dey, K.R., Been, T., Boduch, P., Rothard, H., Schleberger, M, Lebius, H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ions; Physics; Single crystal graphite; Surface modification
• ISSN: 0168-583X; 1872-9584; 1872-9584; 0168-583X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nimb.2018.01.024

Single crystal graphite was irradiated by slow, highly charged ions. The modification of the surface structure was studied by means of Low-Energy Electron Diffraction. The observed damage cross section increases with the potential energy, i.e. the charge state of the incident ion, at a constant kinetic energy. The potential energy is more efficient for the damage production than the kinetic energy by more than a factor of twenty. Comparison with earlier results hints to a strong link between early electron creation and later target atom rearrangement. With increasing ion fluence, the initially large-scale single crystal is first transformed into μm-sized crystals, before complete amorphisation takes place.