Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Molecular dynamics simulations are performed of low-energy ion irradiation of two-dimensional Cu islands on a Cu(111) surface. The irradiation of the surface with low-energy particles influences the mobility of the atoms in the surface region and therefore may alter the thin film growth Mode. The effect of 100 eV Ar+ ions incident at grazing angles is limited to situations in which the ions hit the edges of the islands. In Most cases the islands lose one or two atoms. Changing the angle-of-incidence or changing the type of the incident particle has a strong influence on the size distribution of the two-dimensional islands.