Surface erosion and modification by ions studied by computer simulation

Surface erosion problems common in the development of TeV accelerators and of the extreme ultra-violet lithography (EUVL) devices have been reviewed. The gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) surface smoothing technique can mitigate them. It has recently been realized that GCIB can also be used to determine the basic mechanisms of the Q-slope that is yet another serious problem for the high-gradient linacs. Mechanisms of surface erosion by GCIB and highly-charged ions (HCI) bombardments were studied by using computer simulation. Sputtering, crater formation and surface modification models were developed. Various mechanisms of the ion energy transfer into the solid target, such as shock wave generation, hollow atom formation, Coulomb explosion, charge screening and neutralization were analyzed.