ABSTRACT
The design and performance of an experimental setup utilizing a magnetron sputtering source for production of beams of ionized size-selected clusters for deposition in ultra-high vacuum is described. For the case of copper cluster formation the influence of different source parameters is studied and analyzed. Size-selected clusters are deposited on substrates and the efficiency of an electrostatic quadrupole mass selector is tested. Height analysis using atomic force microscopy (AFM) demonstrates relative standard size deviations of 7%-10% for the particles of various sizes between 6 nm and 19 nm. Combined analysis by AFM and transmission electron microscopy reveals that the clusters preserve almost spherical shape after the deposition on amorphous carbon substrates. Supported nanoparticles of a few nanometres in diameter have crystalline structure with a face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice.
