Self-organization of Te clusters in nanofilm by low energy beam deposition

Tellurium cluster-based nanofilms have been prepared for the first time by low energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD). The cluster beams are produced by a supersonic jet expansion and inert gas condensation method. As the deposition time increases, the Te cluster-aggregates change from an incontinuous branch structure to a percolation network and then to nanostructured films where the individual clusters remain, indicating that a critical size of Te clusters exists in the formation of Te films. It is striking that self-organization and structural rearrangements of the Te films have been found after in situ annealing by transmission electron microscopy. A preferred orientation growth of the Te nanofilm may come from anisotropic properties of tellurium thermodynamics. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.