Nanoscale morphologies resulting from surface treatments of display glass in vacuum

We have applied ultra-high vacuum scanning probe microscopy to an alkaline-earth boroaluminosilicate display glass (Corning Code 1737) that has received a variety of surface treatments in vacuum, including heating, fracture, bombardment with ∼1 keV electrons, and sputtering with 375 eV argon ions. Associated with certain of these treatments is sufficient energy deposition (in the case of ion sputtering or electron bombardment) or energy release (in the case of fracture) to disrupt the metastable glass network. Globular features with characteristic spacings between 3 and 6 nm and <1 nm in height are observed to occur with the energetic treatments while the heated, as-drawn surface has features with a characteristic spacing of ∼12 nm.