Spontaneous assembly of perfectly ordered identical-size nanocluster arrays

Abstract

Perfectly ordered arrays of identical Al and Ga clusters of nanometre size and spacing were spontaneously obtained using a novel technique, in which surface-mediated magic clustering is used to achieve the identical cluster size while the Si(111)-7 × 7 surface is used as a template for positioning the clusters in order. The atomic structures, formation mechanism and stability of the nanoclusters were studied with in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy combined with first-principles total energy calculations. The very high stability of these nanocluster arrays provides unprecedented opportunities for exploring new physical phenomena and great potential in technological applications.