Quantitative scanning tunneling microscopy of radiation-induced modification of materials surface

Quantitative analysis of surface profiles of solids after their exposure to various external effects is described. Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) samples have been irradiated by proton beams and by ions of SiO 2 laser plasma. The utilized plasma had unique intensity characteristics. A value of fractal dimension is suggested as a quantitative characteristic of the degree of radiation modification of the surface.