The bombardment of films with Xe ions having energies ranging from 50 to 400keV was monitored by means of  in situ  transmission electron microscopy. Craters were produced, and annihilated, on the bombarded surface for all of the ion energies which were studied. Some 2 to 5% of the impinging ions produced craters; with sizes which could be as large as 12nm for the highest-energy irradiation. It was noted that crater annihilation occurred in discrete steps, due to subsequent ion impacts, or in a continuous manner during annealing; due to surface diffusion processes. Crater creation resulted from a flow which was associated with near-surface cascades. Discrete crater annihilation resulted from plastic flow which was induced by ion impacts, including those which did not themselves leave a crater, and from annealing that could occur during the quenching phase of cascade thermal spikes.

Heavy Ion Cratering of Gold S.E.Donnelly, R.C.Birtcher: Physical Review B, 1997, 56[21], 13599-602