Thinning of surface cones by the focused ion beam technique

The focused ion beam (FIB) technique makes it possible to thin the 'cones' grown on ion-bombarded solid surfaces without modifying their structure. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM) of samples prepared by this technique can provide unambiguous information on the structure of the cones, as well as their growth behavior. A new phenomenon uncovered with our FIB technique is that the simultaneous supply of molybdenum seeds on an Si surface bombarded with 3 keV Ar+ dramatically enhances the amorphization of the near-surface area at around 500 degrees C, presumably through a catalytic process. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.