Molecular dynamics studies of thin film growth by ionized cluster beam deposition

The mechanism of thin-film growth by ionized cluster beam deposition (ICBD) has been investigated, using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with the hybrid interatomic potentials which have been developed by combining the em bedded-atom-method (EAM) potentials with the screened Coulomb average modif ied Lenz-Jensen (AMLJ) potential. In order to clarify the conversion mechan ism of cluster energy into surface migration energy in ICED, we have invest igated the cluster impact phenomena for Cu-201 impact on Cu (1 1 1) and Pt (1 1 1) with a cluster energy of 5 eV/atom, For a Cu-201 impact on a Pt (1 1 1), a half of cluster atoms migrated on the substrate surface with relati vely high migration energies. On the other hand, for a Cu-201 impact on a C u(1 1 1), most of the cluster atoms are embedded into the substrate, and a small amount of them migrate with small migration energies. In the conversi on mechanism of cluster energy into surface migration energy in ICED, the m ost important point is whether the high-density zone is formed in the centr al part of the cluster, above or below the surface. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scien ce B.V. All rights reserved.