An experimental study of Bi, Sb, and Cu clusters incident at velocities ≳50m∕s on SiO2, Si3N4, polymethylmethacrylate, and photoresist surfaces shows that the clusters adhere much more strongly to SiO2 and Si3N4 than to the polymer materials. The differences in adhesion properties allow assembly of a range of nanowire-based electronic devices from cluster building blocks using lithographically patterned polymer layers. Clusters adhere to the substrate but not to the surface of the polymer template, eliminating parasitic conduction. Molecular dynamics simulations show that differing cluster-surface interactions affect adhesion most strongly when high incident velocities cause significant plastic deformation of the clusters.

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We describe synchrotron x-ray diffraction measurements of strain in Cu and Pd metal nanoparticles (1.7–40 nm diameter) both with an air-formed oxide shell and after reduction of the oxide by treatment in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. Oxide removal is evident from x-ray diffraction (for Cu) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (for Pd). A simple model that uses bulk elastic properties is applied to each system. In the Pd case the model predictions agree well with the experiment. For Cu the observed strains are much smaller than predicted. This discrepancy is attributed to (a) the presence of multiple grains within the Cu particles and (b) the incoherency of the oxide with the metal core.

In this article, we report on the laser‐induced formation of both C49 and C54 TiSi2 films with fine grains using Q‐switched Nd : YAG laser irradiation from Ti/Si samples. The films formed were characterized with micro‐Raman spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive spectrometry and atomic force microscopy. The TiSi2 films synthesized are single‐phased and thin, with fine grains and a smooth film/substrate interface on the atomic scale. The process is likely to proceed via a solid‐state reaction rather than liquid‐phase intermixing. Our results demonstrate the unique advantages of a laser annealing technique and its potential in deep submicron semiconductor technology. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.