High energy ion irradiation induced surface patterning on a SiO2 glass substrate

Experimental results about formation of self-organized surface patterns on a silica glass substrate due to irradiations with high energy Au ions at various angles of incidences have been reported in this paper. Pattern formations are found to vary significantly from theoretical predictions. Orientation, growth of ripples and ripple characteristics observed here do not conform to established results of low energy heavy-ion irradiation studies. High energy Au ion-induced effects (e.g., surface stress, mass redistribution and surface current) have been suitably invoked to explain observed phenomena.