Molecular dynamics studies of thin film growth by ionized cluster beam deposition

The mechanism of thin-film growth by ionized cluster beam deposition (ICBD) has been investigated, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the hybrid interatomic potentials which have been developed by combining the embedded-atom-method (EAM) potentials with the screened Coulomb average modified Lenz-Jensen (AMLJ) potential. In order to clarify the conversion mechanism of cluster energy into surface migration energy in ICED, we have investigated the cluster impact phenomena for Cu-201 impact on Cu (1 1 1) and Pt (1 1 1) with a cluster energy of 5 eV/atom, For a Cu-201 impact on a Pt (1 1 1), a half of cluster atoms migrated on the substrate surface with relatively high migration energies. On the other hand, for a Cu-201 impact on a Cu(1 1 1), most of the cluster atoms are embedded into the substrate, and a small amount of them migrate with small migration energies. In the conversion mechanism of cluster energy into surface migration energy in ICED, the most important point is whether the high-density zone is formed in the central part of the cluster, above or below the surface. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.