Cluster deposition study by molecular dynamics simulation: Al and Cu cluster

Abstract

The ionized cluster beam deposition of Al and Cu clusters has been investigated with a classical molecular dynamics simulation and the Metropolis Monte–Carlo simulation. The spreading of the cluster has been studied as functions of cluster size and initial cluster energy. When the local area reached the local melting spot on the surface around the impact point of an energetic cluster, during a few ps, intermixing was easily achieved and a good epitaxial film with optimum bulk density was formed. For uniform film growth using a cluster impact, it is necessary to make the local area temperature higher than melting temperature on the surface around the impact point of an energetic cluster.

Surface growth by random deposition of rigid and wetting clusters

“…Indeed, in Refs. [13] and [14] it can be seen that Al and Cu clusters with very low kinetic energy incorporate to the surface without the generation of voids and no intermixing resembling the WCD.…”