Eur. Phys. J. D (2013) 67: 81
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2013-30648-x

Regular Article

Thermal stability of uni-size Pt cluster disk constructed on silicon substrate^*

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

^a e-mail: yasumatsu@clusterlab.jp

Received: 22 October 2012
Received in final form: 7 February 2013
Published online: 30 April 2013

Abstract

Thermal stability of a uni-size platinum cluster disk, Pt₃₀, constructed on a silicon (111) surface was investigated in a temperature range from room temperature to 773 K by means of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The apparent height and diameter and the number density of the cluster disks were obtained from the STM images as a function of the heating temperature. According to the statistical analysis of these specific values, it has been concluded that both the cluster disk and the neighboring substrate surface are stable up to 673 K, then they start being decomposed at the higher temperatures.