Surfactant Sputtering: Theory of a new method of surface nanostructuring by ion beams

We present a new Monte Carlo model and a new continuum theory of surface pattern formation due to "surfactant sputtering", i.e. erosion by ion beam sputtering including a submonolayer coverage of additional, co-sputtered surfactant atoms. This setup, which has been realized in recent experiments in a controlled way leads to a number of interesting possibilities to modify pattern forming processing conditions. We will present three simple scenarios, which illustrate some potential applications of the method. In all three cases, simple Bradley-Harper type ripples appear in the absence of surfactant, whereas new, interesting structures emerge during surfactant sputtering. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.