AVS 47th International Symposium
    Thin Films Wednesday Sessions
       Session TF-WeM

Paper TF-WeM6
Modeling of Cluster Ion-Surface Interactions with Full Inclusion of Internal Degrees of Freedom

Wednesday, October 4, 2000, 10:00 am, Room 203

Session: Modeling of Thin Film Growth
Presenter: K.J. Boyd, University of New Orleans
Authors: K.J. Boyd, University of New Orleans
A. Lapicki, University of Utah
S.L. Anderson, University of Utah
Correspondent: Click to Email
Molecular dynamics simulations with embedded atom or tight binding moment approximation potentials are used to investigate the interactions of small cluster ions (N<50) with metal surfaces. The simulations are performed at constant target temperature, with the cluster initially thermostatted independently. This allows the internal vibrational and rotational degrees of freedom of the cluster to be treated properly. At room temperature, the vibrational energy content of a 50 atom cluster may be several eV, which is comporable to the translational energy of the cluster. The rotational energy at room temperature is much lower, but the effect of cluster rotations is to change the momentum of cluster atoms such that they impinge at non-normal incidence on the target. This non-normal momentum component may alter the dynamics of cluster deposition by changing the fragmentation and penetration behavior.