Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
In order to study the surface reaction process under cluster ion impact, molecular dynamics simulations of sequential cluster impacts of fluorine and neon clusters were performed. (F2)300 and Ne600 clusters were accelerated with totally 6keV and irradiated on bare Si(100) target. By iterating impact simulation sequentially, change of surface morphology and composition of desorbed materials were studied. In the case of fluorine cluster impact, the rough surface structure was made compared with neon cluster impact because fluorine atoms adsorb on the target, which work to keep pillar structure on the surface, whereas Ne atoms evaporate immediately leaving spherical mound structure on the surface. From the study of desorption process, it was observed that large number of Si atoms are desorbed in the form of silicon fluorides. The major sputtered material was SiF2, but various types of silicon-fluorides, including the molecules consists of several tens to hundreds silicon and fluorine atoms, were observed. The distribution of clusters in desorbed materials obeyed the classical model of cluster emission from quasi-liquid phase excited with ion bombardment. From these results, the irradiation effects of reactive cluster ions were discussed.