Ion etching of Ag(1 1 0) studied by X-ray and STM

The evolution of the morphology of ion sputtered Ag(1 1 0) has been studied by X-ray technique at the European Synchrotron Radiation in Grenoble and by scanning tunneling microscope. The surface was bombarded with Ar+ ions at an energy of 1 keV, changing the temperature in the range 100-320 K. The erosion is never layer by layer in the explored temperature range. On the contrary, regular structures (ripples) can be created on the surface, and their orientation rotates by 90 deg. by changing temperature. Also the slope of the mounds/ripples changes with temperature, ranging between 6 deg. and 12 deg. if measured along <1 -1 0> and between 8 deg. and 10 deg. along <0 0 1>