Shape of the surface-step-density oscillations during sputtering of singular and vicinal surfaces

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Abstract
The evolution of the morphology of sputtered surfaces has been investigated using computer simulations of a solid-on-solid model. We have studied the close analogy between growth and sputtering and found two phenomena which have not yet been observed experimentally: the asymmetric shape of the surface-step-density oscillations, and the delay of the first maximum in both the step density and the kinematic intensity oscillations during sputtering of vicinal surfaces. We have found that the asymmetric shape of the step density oscillations during sputtering is due to coalescence phenomena.