Nanoscale surface ripples generated by oblique-incidence ion bombardment of a solid are generally full of defects, and this has prevented the widespread adoption of ion bombardment as a nanofabrication tool. We advance a theory that predicts that remarkably defect-free ripples can be produced by ion bombardment of a binary material if the ion species, energy and angle of incidence are appropriately chosen. This high degree of order results from the coupling between the surface height and composition, and cannot be achieved by bombarding an elemental material.
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