Relevance of surface viscous flow, surface diffusion, and ballistic effects in keV ion smoothing of amorphous surfaces

Surface viscous flow, surface diffusion, and ballistic effects have recently been discussed as possible atomic-scale mechanisms to explain the dramatic smoothing reactions observed during keV ion bombardment of amorphous surfaces. By employing multiscale modeling, viz. a combination of molecular dynamics and continuum rate equations, we compare the relevance of the individual processes at room temperature. This is achieved by calculating diffusion constants, viscosities, and lateral transport due to momentum transfer. Depending on the surface structure size, we find the dominance of surface viscous flow or ballistic effects. The findings are found to be valid for both strong and fragile glasses, as represented by amorphous Si and CuTi, respectively.