Melting of a thin aluminum film on a dielectric substrate under a high-power ion beam

The effect of a high-power ion beam on thin aluminum films (0.3 and 1.9 $\mu$m thick) deposited onto dielectric substrates made of sodium-silicate glass and pyroceramics is studied. The main stages of changes in the surface morphology of a film, namely, its melting and transformation into an array of individual metal particles, are determined. Possible mechanisms of the detected phenomena are considered.