Abstract
The design and operation of a new UHV-compatible atomic cluster deposition system is described. The design is optimised for high cluster fluxes and for the production of cluster-assembled nano-devices. One key feature of the system is a high degree of flexibility, including interchangeable sputtering and inert gas aggregation sources, and two kinds of mass spectrometer, which allow both characterisation of the cluster size distribution and deposition of mass-selected clusters. Another key feature is that clusters are deposited onto electrically contacted lithographically defined devices mounted on an UHV-compatible cryostat cold finger, allowing deposition at room temperature as well as cryogenic and elevated temperatures. In-situ electrical characterisation of cluster-assembled devices can then be performed in the temperature range 1.2--75 K.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker S.H., Thornton S.C., Keen A.M., Preston T.I., Norris C., Edmonds K.W., Binns C.(1997). The construction of a gas aggregation source for the preparation of mass-selected ultrasmall metal particles. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68 (4): 1853--857
Davies J.T. and Rideal E.K. (1961). Interfacial Phenomena. New York, Academic, 441
de Heer W.A. (1993). The physics of simple metal clusters: Experimental aspects and simple models. Rev. Mod. Phys. 65: 611--76
Denby P.M., Eastham D.A. (2001). Efficient technique for producing high-brightness, size-selected cluster beams. Appl. Phys. Lett. 79 (15): 2477--479
Dunbar, A.D.F., J. G. Partridge, M. Schulze, & S.A., Brown, 2004. Percolating films of Bi, Ag and Sb clusters: Experimental determination of the exponent for conductivity. Submitted to Europ. Phys. J.D.
Flüli, M., 1989. Observation des Structures Anormales de Petites Particules d’Or et d’Argent par Microscopie Electronique à Haute Résolution et Diffraction d’Electrons par un Jet d’Agrégets d’Argent. Ph.D. thesis, Éole Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne
Ganteför G., Siekmann H.R., Lutz H.O., Meiwes-Broer K.H. (1990). Pure metal and metal-doped rare-gas clusters grown in a pulsed ARC cluster ion source. Chem. Phys. Lett. 165: 293--96
Goldby I.M., von Issendorff B., Kuipers L., Palmer R.E. (1997). Gas condensation source for production and deposition of size-selected metal clusters. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 68 (9): 3327--334
Goto M., Murakami J., Tei Y., Yoshimura K., Igarashi K., Tanemura S.(1997). Formation of alumina fine particles by a magnetron sputtering-gas aggregation method. Z. Phys. D40: 115--18
Haberland, H., 1992. United States Patent # 5,110,435 (May 5, 1992)
Haberland H., Insepov Z., Karrais M., Mall M., Moseler M.,Thurner Y. (1993). Thin-Film growth by energetic cluster impact (ECI) comparision between experiment and molecular-dynamics simulations. Mater. Sci. Eng. B19: 31--6
Haberland H., Karrais M., Mall M., Thurner Y. (1992). Thin-films from energetic cluster impact – A feasiblity study. J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A10: 3266--271
Haberland H., Mall M., Moseler M., Qiang Y., Reiners Th., Thurner Y. (1994). Filling of micron - sized contact holes with copper by energetic cluster-impact. J. Vac. Sci. Tech. A12: 2925--930
Hall, B. D., 1991. An installation for the study of unsupported ultrafine particles by electron diffraction with application to silver: Observation of multiply twinned particle structures. Ph.D thesis, Éole Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne
Hartley G.S., Brunskill R.T. (1958). Surface Phenomena. In: Danielli J.F., Pankhurst K.G.A., Riddiford A.C. (eds.) Pergamon, London, p. 214.
Hihara T., Sumiyama K. (1998). Formation and size control of a Ni cluster by plasma gas condensation. J. Appl. Phys. 84 (9): 5270--276
Partridge J.G., Scott S., Dunbar A.D.F., Schulze M., Brown S.A., Wurl A., Blaikie R.J. (2004a). Formation of electrically conducting mesoscale wires throguh self-assembly of atomic clusters. IEEE Trans Nanotechn 3 (1): 61--6
Partridge J.G., Brown S.A., Dunbar A.D.F., Kaufmann M., Scott S., Schulze M., Reichel R., Siegert C., Blaikie R. (2004b). Template assembled antimony cluster mesowires and nanowires. Nanotechnology 15: 1382--387
Sattler K., Mühlbach J., Recknagel E. (1980). Generation of metal clusters containing from 2 to 500 atoms. Phys. Rev. Lett. 45: 821--24
Schmelzer J., Jr., Brown S.A., Wurl A., Hyslop M., Blaikie R.J. (2002). Finite-size effects in the conductivity of cluster assembled nanostructures. Phys. Rev. Lett. 88: 226802-1--26802-4
Schulze M., Gourley S., Brown S.A., Dunbar A.D.F., Partridge J.G., Blaikie R.J. (2003). Electrical measurements of nanoscale bismuth cluster films. Europ. Phys. J. D24 (1): 291--94
von Issendorff B., Palmer R.E. (1999). A new high transmission infinite range mass selector for cluster and nanoparticle beams. Rev. Sci. Instr. 70 (12): 4497--501
Wiley W.C., McLaren I.H. (1955). Time-of-flight mass spectrometer with improved resolution. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 26 (12): 1150--157
Yokozeki A., Stein G.D.(1978). A metal cluster generator for gas-phase electron diffration and its application to bismuth, lead, and indium: Variation in microcrystal structure with size. J. Appl. Phys. 49(4): 2224--232
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Hellmut Haberland and PD Dr. Bernd v. Issendorff for their collaboration and helpful discussions regarding the magnetron sputter source. Additional thanks also to our technicians without whose help the construction of this system would not have been possible.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reichel, R., Partridge, J.G., Dunbar, A.D. et al. Construction and Application of a UHV Compatible Cluster Deposition System. J Nanopart Res 8, 405–416 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-005-9021-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-005-9021-1