Changes in surface topology of amorphous silicon oxide and mica after ion-milling

Abstract

The surface topology of amorphous silicon oxide and mica were investigated by Scanning Force Microscopy. The surface of thermally grown oxide films on silicon wafers appeared to be flat on the large scale but exhibited a wrinkled surface structure on the sub-nanometer scale. After ion milling in an argon plasma we found the surface roughness of the silicon oxide to be drastically increased on the 10 nm scale. Mica, however, responded differently to the ion milling. Here we found that after exposure to the argon plasma, small flakes of the layered mineral were left on the surface. The flakes were only loosely attached to the surface. Both on top of the flakes and on the undamaged surface, atomic resolution was achieved. © 1992, IUPAC.