Nonclassical smoothening of nanoscale surface corrugations.
We report the first experimental observation of nonclassical morphological equilibration of a corrugated crystalline surface. Periodic rippled structures with wavelengths of 290-550 nm were made on Si(001) by sputter rippling and then annealed at 650-750 degrees C. In contrast to the classical exponential decay with time, the ripple amplitude Alambda(t) followed an inverse linear decay, Alambda(t)=Alambda(0)/(1+klambdat), agreeing with a prediction of Ozdemir and Zangwill. We measure the activation energy for surface relaxation to be 1.6+/-0.2 eV, consistent with the fundamental energies of creation and migration on Si(001).
Erlebacher
J
J
Harvard University, Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Aziz
M J
MJ
Chason
E
E
Sinclair
M B
MB
Floro
J A
JA