Ion-Beam-Induced Structure Fragmentation and Dewetting in Au/Ti Films

Abstract We investigate the formation of Au structures by continuing fragmentation of a Au film separated from Si (100) substrate by a Ti adhesion layer. The ion-beam processing uses 2 keV Cs+ projectiles. It induces the formation of a large variety of structures with dimensions from tens of microns down to a few nanometers, and shapes that include flat Au islands and clusters of Au nanoparticles. We identify different fragmentation mechanisms. In one pathway, Au structures are formed as pinch-off droplets detached from large Au islands undergoing solid-state dewetting. In a second pathway, a continuing cracking fragmentation produces Au structures with a wide range of sizes and shows self-similarity, expressed in a power law for volume distribution of fragments Vα with α = -2.03±0.05. The measured α value is consistent with theoretical results in the literature modelling strong impact fragmentation. In the last stage of fragmentation evolution, Au nanostructures are spread over a texturized Si background. They assume shapes close to hemispherical, reflecting the increasing relevance of surface tension as dimensions decrease.