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R. Ritter, G. Kowarik, W. Meissl, A.S. El-Said, L. Maunoury, H. Lebius, C. Dufour, M. Toulemonde, F. Aumayr:
"Nanostructure formation due to impact of highly charged ions on mica";
Vacuum, 84 (2010), 1062 - 1065.

Muscovite micawas irradiated with slowhighly charged Arqþ (charge state q¼ 12,16) and Xeqþ (q ¼ 23, 27)
ions in a kinetic energy range of 150-216 keV and subsequently observed by contact mode atomic force
microscopy. Surprisingly, on samples irradiated with Xe ions nano-sized hillock-like structures were found
well below the charge state threshold reported in earlier experimental investigations. However, the
structures found are not the result of a true topographic surface modification induced by the ion
bombardment, because the absence of these nanostructures in tapping mode images and the dependence
of the detected structures on scan conditions points towards a surface modification which manifests itself
only in frictional forces and therefore in height measurement artifacts. Furthermore the generated defects
are not stable but can be erased by continuous scanning.