Highly ordered nanoscale patterns produced by masked ion bombardment of a moving solid surface

摘要

We introduce a fabrication method in which a mask with a long, narrow slit is placed between the source of an ion beam and the surface of a solid moving with constant speed. Numerical simulations reveal the method can generate surface ripples and arrays of nanoholes that are virtually defect free. In contrast, the patterns produced by ion bombardment with a broad, unmasked beam are typically rife with defects.