The effect of Ar+ bombardment was studied on TiO2(110)-(1 x n) surface decorated with Pt nanoparticles by scanning tunnelling microscopy. The Pt crystallites were fabricated with a large separation by using the so-called seeding+growing method. It was shown that the presence of Pt crystallites results in an enhanced sputtering of the support in the vicinity of the particles at high temperatures. This process caused a dramatic increase in the average corrugation of the substrate and leads to formation of deep nanoditches in the orientation of [001]. The analysis of the geometry of the nanoparticles revealed that they were decorated with the material of the support. The noble metal nanocrystallites grown in large separation were suitable for the visualization of the accelerated surface diffusion and sputtering in the region around the crystallites. The phenomenon presented here prompts a nanotechnological tool capable of fabricating nanopits in tailored distribution (in the range of 5–200nm) that was determined by the original Pt nanoparticles formed on the TiO2(110) surface.

Formation of Vacancy Islands Tailored by Pt Nanocrystallites and Ar+ Sputtering on a TiO2(110) Surface. Berkó, A., Kiss, A.M., Szökő, J.: Applied Surface Science, 2005, 246[1-3], 174-82