The role of dimers in the efficient growth of nanoparticles

0581746 - FZÚ 2024 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Čurda, P. - Hippler, Rainer - Čada, Martin - Kylián, O. - Straňák, V. - Hubička, Zdeněk
The role of dimers in the efficient growth of nanoparticles.
Surface and Coatings Technology. Roč. 473, Nov. (2023), č. článku 130045. ISSN 0257-8972
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000760
Grant - others:OP VVV - SOLID21(XE) CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000760
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : dimer * nanoparticle * gas aggregation nucleation * magnetron sputtering * energy-resolved mass spectrometry
OECD category: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics)
Impact factor: 5.4, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2023.130045

The early stage of nanoparticle formation in gas aggregation systems is studied with the ambition to reveal the role of atomic dimers acting as cluster nuclei. The initial formation of a dimer nucleus is believed to be the bottleneck of the nanoparticle gas-aggregated synthesis. We thus examined the nature of the underlying process by employing energy-resolved mass-spectrometry and imaging of deposited nanoparticles. The production of dimers with origin in the discharge gas phase (ArCu+, Ar2+) and dimers preferentially sputtered directly from the target (Cu2+) was studied. The study demonstrates that sputtered Cu2+ dimers, carrying the high energy tail of Thompson energy distribution, play a major role as agents responsible for the formation of initial cluster nuclei, followed by a significant contribution of ArCu+, the population of these dimers is proportional to nanoparticle transported mass to the substrate.

Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0349903