Fabrication of Anisotropic Regular Nanostructures on GaAs Surface due to Normal Incidence Ion Irradiation: A study on Temperature Dependence

Abstract

We have carried out an investigation on nanostructure evolution of GaAs(100) surface due to normal incidence of threshold energy ion irradiation at different elevated temperatures. Well-ordered ripple nanopatterns are observed above 350°C near to surface recrystallization temperature where ripple wave-vector is oriented along 110 crystallographic direction on sample surface. The evolution of temperature induced ripple patterns at normal incidence can be attributed to the diffusion bias induced surface instability arising due to Ehlrich-Schwoebel (ES) barrier.