Eur. Phys. J. D (2013) 67: 86
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2013-30638-0

Regular Article

Production of Fe clusters by collisions of metal vapour with supersonic argon beams

University of Leicester, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

^a e-mail: kvh6@le.ac.uk

Received: 16 October 2012
Received in final form: 17 January 2013
Published online: 30 April 2013

Abstract

The growth of Fe clusters by collisions of Fe atoms with Ar atoms flowing in a supersonic beam was investigated by Fe mass flux measurements and transmission electron (TEM) microscopy. Moderate Ar densities of the order of 1 × 10²⁰ m^-3 were sufficient to cause cluster growth which was attributed to the low temperature of the Ar beam. TEM imaging of deposited clusters revealed diameter distributions from 2 to 10 nm depending on the deposition time. Extrapolation to zero deposition time revealed a cluster size of 2.4 nm grown in the gas phase. Growth on the surface was attributed to diffusion of single Fe atoms which are co-deposited with the clusters in the process and which agglomerate when they hit a cluster.