Low-energy ion irradiation during film growth: Kinetic pathways leading to enhanced adatom migration rates

Embedded-atom molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the effects of low-energy self-ion irradiation of Pt adatoms on Pt(111). Here, we concentrate on self-bombardment dynamics, i.e., isolating and monitoring the atomic processes, induced by normally incident Pt atoms with energies E ranging from 5 to 50 eV, that can affect intra- and interlayer mass transport.. We find that adatom scattering, surface channeling, and dimer formation occur at all energies. Atomic intermixing events involving incident and terrace atoms are observed at energies ⩾15eV, while the collateral formation of residual surface vacancies is observed only with E>40eV. The overall effect of low-energy self-ion irradiation is to enhance lateral adatom and terrace atom migration.