Various self-organized patterns including ripples and quantum dots can be induced by ion beam sputtering (IBS). Our group has developed a hybrid MD/kMC (Molecular Dynamics/kinetic Monte Carlo) multiscale atomistic model to model this interesting phenomenon. This model uses the crater functions, which are obtained by MD simulations, to model the prompt mass redistribution due to single-ion impacts. Defect migration, which is missing in existing models using crater functions, is treated by a kMC Arrhenius model.
Atomistic modeling of ion nanopatterning
