TY - JOUR

T1 - Formation of Anomalous Craters upon Bombardment of the Surface of a Lithium-Triborate Single Crystal by Cluster Ions

AU - Коробейщиков, Николай Геннадьевич

AU - Николаев, Иван Владимирович

AU - Роенко, Максим Анатольевич

AU - Яковлев, Владимир Владимирович

N1 - FUNDING: This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 21-19-00046: preparation, treatment, and analysis of samples) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (project no. FSUS-2020-0039, analysis of results).

PY - 2023/5/11

Y1 - 2023/5/11

N2 - Accelerated cluster ions formed during the outflow of inert gases are a unique tool for the precision surface treatment of various materials, including nonlinear optical single crystals. However, the interaction of gas cluster ions with the surface of nonlinear single crystals has been little studied. In this paper, we consider the features of the formation of anomalous craters during treatment of the surface of hygroscopic lithium-triborate single crystals with argon cluster ions at various bombardment doses. The treatment is carried out at a kinetic energy of clusters of 22 keV, an average cluster size of about 210 atoms per cluster at a normal angle of incidence. It is shown that the anomalous craters have a diameter of 150 to 820 nm, which are two orders of magnitude larger than the diameter of ordinary impact craters. The depth of the craters varies from 5 to 9 nm. Such craters are formed at a target etching depth of up to 320 nm. A statistical analysis of the geometrical parameters of anomalous craters is carried out at various treatment doses. It is established that with an increase in the irradiation dose and, accordingly, the etching depth, the density of anomalous craters per unit surface of the target decreases, while their depth and average diameter increase significantly.

AB - Accelerated cluster ions formed during the outflow of inert gases are a unique tool for the precision surface treatment of various materials, including nonlinear optical single crystals. However, the interaction of gas cluster ions with the surface of nonlinear single crystals has been little studied. In this paper, we consider the features of the formation of anomalous craters during treatment of the surface of hygroscopic lithium-triborate single crystals with argon cluster ions at various bombardment doses. The treatment is carried out at a kinetic energy of clusters of 22 keV, an average cluster size of about 210 atoms per cluster at a normal angle of incidence. It is shown that the anomalous craters have a diameter of 150 to 820 nm, which are two orders of magnitude larger than the diameter of ordinary impact craters. The depth of the craters varies from 5 to 9 nm. Such craters are formed at a target etching depth of up to 320 nm. A statistical analysis of the geometrical parameters of anomalous craters is carried out at various treatment doses. It is established that with an increase in the irradiation dose and, accordingly, the etching depth, the density of anomalous craters per unit surface of the target decreases, while their depth and average diameter increase significantly.

KW - atomic-force microscopy

KW - cluster ion beam

KW - gas cluster

KW - impact crater

KW - lithium-triborate single crystal

KW - surface etching

KW - surface morphology

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85159085031&origin=inward&txGid=07faf2fc0caca9745ef352dc674cd10e

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/63733851-9bb8-3c53-bb42-d2518210bd1d/

U2 - 10.1134/S1027451023010135

DO - 10.1134/S1027451023010135

M3 - Article

VL - 17

SP - 163

EP - 167

JO - Journal of Surface Investigation

JF - Journal of Surface Investigation

SN - 1027-4510

IS - 1

ER -