GROWTH OF COPPER NANOCRYSTALLITES ON COPPER SEED CONES - EVIDENCE FORTHE PRESENCE OF A LIQUID-PHASE ON AN ION-IMPACTING CONE SURFACE

The Ar+-sputter-induced ''cone evolution'' on Mo-seeded Cu is known to entail the growth of hillocklike crystallites on the cone surface, Su ch crystallites have now been identified as Cu, by means of high-resol ution energy dispersive x-ray analysis, The Cu crystallites grew selec tively on the Mo lattice of seed layers, and sometimes at the seed-lay er apex which suffered from head-on ion impact during sputtering. The crystallite growth was thus not a direct consequence of ion impact, le ading to a hypothesis that a viscous overlayer of Cv on the growing Mo lattice condensed into dewdroplike crystallites upon switching off th e ion beam. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.