Crater formation due to grazing incidence C-60 cluster ion impacts on mica: A tapping-mode scanning force microscopy study

First tapping-mode scanning force microscopy (TM-SFM) observations of swift-heavy-ion-induced topographical craters on muscovite mica are presented. The gigantic cratered hillocks were induced by surface-grazing 20.4 MeV C-60 (fullerene) ions from the Orsay tandem MP accelerator. The operating parameters of TM-SFM were varied in order to show that the observed features were indeed of topographical nature. The greater dimensions of these hillocks compared to those observed with normally-incident MeV C-60 ions further support the occurrence of a radial expansion in the material around each ion track. The great dimensions, and also the formation of a topographical crater on each hillock, are attributed to the greater energy deposition by the C-60 ion impact compared to that of MeV heavy atomic ions.