**1. Introduction**

Material irradiation, material bombardment with energetic particles in the electro-volt to mega-electro-volt range, generally promotes changes in the material microstructure as a result of the energy transference between the solid atoms and the particle used to bombing the solid. The induced microstructural changes by ion beam irradiation that have been investigated and reported during the past five decades are: surface erosion, cratering, atoms implantation at controlled depth, crystal lattice disorder, phase transformations, second phases precipitation, etcetera [1, 2].

Because ion irradiation can deposit high energy densities locally in relatively short time periods, it could be used to evade thermodynamic constraints and create microstructures containing non-thermodynamic equilibrium phases [3, 4].

• When a surface is bombarded by an energetic ion beam a rich variety of surface structures are developed at atomic, microscopic, and macroscopic scales. These structures include elevations, with respect to the surrounding surface, e.g., plateaus, cones, and pyramids among others, depressions, e.g., pores and cavities. These features may occur singly or in large numbers and often form repetitive patterns.


The knowledge acquired about the basic mechanisms of the phenomena that occur during the interaction between the ion beam with the material used as a target, the knowledge acquired as a result of the damage induced by the radiation has permitted the development of new technology to manufacture materials with specific properties due at the high control that could have over the material structure [8].

The most spectacular example of the use of materials irradiation is the analysis technique known as FIB (Focused Ion Beam). The ability of this technique to grind, image, and deposit material is critically dependent on the nature of the particle-solid beam interaction.
