Size-selected fabrication of alloy nanoclusters by plasma-gas condensation

This work reports on the production of alloy Ti-Cu nanoclusters by magnetron sputtering and plasma-gas condensation inside an ultra-high compatible system. Inert-gas was introduced inside a source chamber to generate plasma, sputter material from its target, and establish plasma-gas condensation. The nanocluster size and yield were controlled by adjusting the nanocluster source conditions: inert-gas flow rate fAr, aggregation length L, and sputtering discharge power P. Nanoclusters were produced by three-body collision that created nanocluster embryo, and grew further by two-body collision. The dependence of nanocluster size on nanocluster source conditions was modeled using a homogeneous nucleation model where a nanocluster grows from embryo by nanocluster-nanocluster collision and vapor condensation. Controlled oxidation of ionized nanocluster was conducted in-situ which was found to affect nanocluster charge but retain its size. The nanoclusters were deposited on SiO2/Si substrates with pre-formed metal electrodes to produce percolating nanocluster devices. Those devices have useful applications in many fields such as photoelectrochemical diodes for production of hydrogen fuel. 2018 Elsevier B.V.The author would like to acknowledge the financial support of Qatar University - grant number ( QUUG-CAS-DMSP-15?16-20 ).Scopu