A kinetic theory of bombardment induced interface evolution.
01 January 1989
An interface evolution equation has been formulated to describe bombardment induced etching by an axisymetric angular distribution of energetic particles where the yield per incident particle is assumed to be a function of its energy and its angle relative to the surface normal. These assumptions result in a nonlinear integro-differential equation, but this equation reduces to a partial differential equation in several important special cases. At points that are not shadowed by a remote part of the surface, the interface evolution equation reduces to a nonlinear hyperbolic conservation law.