Degradation, amorphization, and recrystallization of ion bombarded Si(111) surfaces studied by in situ reflection electron microscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction techniques.

In this paper we report the effect of noble gas ions bombardment on the degradation of atomically flat Si(111) surfaces at room and high (400 degrees C-600 degrees C) temperatures. Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and reflection electron microscopy (REM) have been used to characterize the topography and structure of the as-implanted and post annealed surface layers. It is shown that the fading of the specularly reflected beam is not directly related to the amorphization of the surface. This experimental study has also evidenced the difficulties one meets to regrow a defect-free material after amorphization by noble gas bombardment. For high temperature for which the amorphization is not possible, the surface loses its stepped structure and turns into a monocrystalline but atomically rough surface. This roughness is a function of substrate temperature.