Eur. Phys. J. D 43, 159-163 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00067-y

Interface formation by low energy deposition of core-shell Ag-Co nanoclusters on Ag(100)

¹ Physique des Solides Irradiés et des Nanostructures, CP 234, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bd du Triomphe, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
² Theoretical Dept., Arifov Institute of Electronics, F. Khodjaev Str. 33, 700125 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Corresponding author: ^a mhou@ulb.ac.be

Received: 24 July 2006
Revised: 17 November 2006
Published online: 24 May 2007

Abstract

Molecular Dynamics is used to study the formation of an interface between a single crystalline Ag matrix and core-shell AgCo nanoclusters deposited with energies ranging from 0.25 eV to 1.5 eV per atom. As a consequence of the slowing down, clusters deform, may become epitaxial with the substrate and keep their core-shell structure. The consequences of the cluster-surface interaction are studied in detail for a realistic size and energy range and the accumulation of clusters is modelled. It is found that the interface formed is no more than a few atomic layers thick and that both the cobalt cluster cores and the silver shells display limited epitaxy with the substrate. The effect is not much energy dependent and is larger for the Ag shells that for the Co cores.