On the problem of the stability of pyramidal structures on bombarded copper surfaces

The morphological evolution of pyramids, developed on bombarded copper surfaces, as a function of consecutive doses of 12 keV Kr—ions from 2.4 × 1016 up to 3 × 1016 ions/cm2, has been studied. In disagreement with many previous studies, apparently based on a limited choice of doses which were sometimes not in sequence, we found that the pyramids disappeared at high enough doses. Pyramids are therefore not an equilibrium structure.