Using Magnetron Sputtering to Deposit Metal Nanoclusters

Several series of thin tantalum nanocluster films deposited on a quartz crystal are obtained. The masses of the films are measured using a quartz mass sensor. In each series, the films have characteristic particle sizes of 1.5 to 6.5 nm. Results from measuring mass show the ratio of the deposited mass to the incident volume of clusters differs for different sizes. A physical model of the particle deposition process is proposed and studied to explain the observed effect. According to modeling results, the focusing of particles does not change with size and is found to depend weakly on the initial velocity of the particles. It is concluded that the main reason for the above effect could be the difference between the coefficient of adhesion for particles of different sizes. It is proposed that this assumption be tested through additional experiments.