完全有序的全同金属纳米点阵列的生长与研究

Spontaneous Fabrication of Periodic Arrays of Identical Metal Nano-clusters

利用“幻数稳定团簇+模板”方法在半导体Si(111)衬底上第一次成功地外延生长出了尺寸相同、空间分布均匀的金属纳米团簇阵列。这种方法适用于不同的金属,制备出的纳米团簇阵列热稳定性非常高。用扫描隧道显微镜(STM)原位分析结合第一性原理计算确定了纳米团簇的原子结构以及阵列的形成机理。

Periodic two-dimensional arrays of identical metal clusters of nanometer size and spacing were successfully fabricated on Si(111) substrate by molecule beam epitaxy. The method we propose is based on surface mediated clustering on a periodic template. The versatility of the method is demonstrated for a broad range of metals on Si(111)-7×7 substrates and the nano-dot arrays are stable up to 200°C. In situ scanning tunneling microscopy analysis of In clusters, combined with first-principles total energy calculations, unveils unique initial-stage atomic structures of the surface-supported clusters and the vital steps that lead to the success of this method.