Surface Review and Letters · 1996 · 66 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials SciencePhysicsComputational Materials ScienceSurface ScienceThin FilmsCluster ChemistryThin Film AdhesionElectron Impact IonizationFilm Growth Mechanisms
A completely ionized beam of metal clusters is deposited with variable kinetic energy on a substrate. Mirror-like and strongly adhering films having unusual properties are produced for sufficiently high cluster impact energies. Numerical simulations provide the physical insight why this novel technique gives different, and sometimes superior results compared to conventional methods. Several examples are presented.