Single impact crater functions for ion bombardment of silicon

The average effect of a single 500 eV incident argon ion on a silicon surface is studied using molecular dynamics simulations. More than 10 3 ion impacts at random surface points are averaged for each of seven incidence angles, from 0° to 28° off normal, to determine a local surface height change function, or a crater function . The crater shapes are mostly determined by mass rearrangement; sputtering has a relatively small effect. Analytical fitting functions are provided for several cases, and may serve as input into kinetic Monte Carlo calculations or stability analyses for surfaces subjected to ion bombardment.