Nanostructuring in Ge by self-ion implantation

We report here a detailed study about the formation and self-organization of nanoscale structures during ion beam implantation at room temperature of 300 keV Ge+ in Ge as a function of the ion fluence in the range between 1×1014 to 4×1016 cm−2. “Microexplosions” characterize the morphology of the swelled material; a random cellular structure consisting of cells surrounded by amorphous Ge ripples has been observed and studied in details by combining atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.