Eur. Phys. J. D 52, 95-98 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2009-00032-x

Deposition of size-selected metal clusters on inert graphite surface with atomic anchors

¹ East Tokyo Laboratory, Genesis Research Institute, Inc., 717-86 Futamata, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-0001, Japan
² Cluster Research Laboratory, Toyota Technological Institute: in East Tokyo Laboratory, Genesis Research Institute, Inc., 717-86 Futamata, Ichikawa, Chiba, 272-0001, Japan

Corresponding author: ^a kondow@clusterlab.jp

Received: 19 September 2008
Published online: 13 February 2009

Abstract

A novel method was developed to fix size-selected metal clusters firmly on an inert surface; atomic anchors are fixed on the surface by injecting atomic ions on it and then by soft-landing metal clusters which are pinned to the anchors. In the present report, we demonstrated a utility of this method by using a system of W₉⁺ to W⁺ anchors. The atomic anchors and the clusters thus prepared on a graphite (0001) surface were observed by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that mono-atomically arranged tungsten clusters are firmly fixed on the surface as W₉₊₁.