Oxidative etching of Ta-cluster-ion-bombarded highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite

Bombardment of highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite by energetic monomer and cluster ions (555 eV/atom Ta 1 +, Ta 2 +, Ta 4 +, or Ta 9 +) is used to introduce surface defects which, after baking in air at ≈ 630°C, nucleate oxidation etch pits of variable areal density and depth. In this paper, we outl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section B, Beam interactions with materials and atoms Beam interactions with materials and atoms, 1997, Vol.122 (3), p.343-346
Main Authors: Reimann, C.T., Andersson, S., Brühwiler, P.A., Mårtensson, N., Sundqvist, B.U.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Bombardment of highly-oriented pyrolytic graphite by energetic monomer and cluster ions (555 eV/atom Ta 1 +, Ta 2 +, Ta 4 +, or Ta 9 +) is used to introduce surface defects which, after baking in air at ≈ 630°C, nucleate oxidation etch pits of variable areal density and depth. In this paper, we outline our observations on the correlation between etch pit width and depth and on the dependence of etch pit width on areal pit density. We also briefly examine overlapping etch pits. Achieving an adequate understanding of the oxidative etching is important in acquiring control over the chemical and topographical nature of the surfaces so created.
ISSN:0168-583X
1872-9584
DOI:10.1016/S0168-583X(96)00661-1