Erosion of material surface under the action of ion bombardment

Considered was the present-day state of the art in the study of changes of the surface of solid bodies bombarded by ions of medium masses with energies from 1 to 100 keV. A particular attention was given to the analysis of the formation of the surface relief in the course of irradiation and to the investigation of the coefficient of dispersion of S-materials which is one of the major factors governing the erosion of surfaces. Described are the original phases and the transition stages in the formation of a macroscopic relief on the surface of perfect crystals in an ion bombardment. The changes of the various shapes of surface occurring in the course of irradiation were considered. A great emphasis was laid on the investigation of the deviations in the stoichiometry of the near surface layers of multi-component materials in ion bombardments, this resulting from an unequal dispersion of the individual components of the materials. The mechanisms of these phenomena are explained. Considered is the effect of foreign particles on the surface upon the erosion of materials in ion irradiation