Formation, evolution, and degradation of nanostructured covalent thin films deposited by low-energy cluster beam deposition

Low-energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD) is considered an intriguing technique for obtaining thin layers with well-defined structures at the nano- and mesoscale levels, allowing novel optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. The produced layers are highly porous and extremely reactive due to the high surface to volume ratio and must be characterized with in situ techniques to study their original composition and their evolution once exposed to reactive gases. In this work, we present a general overview and some results on the formation, evolution, and deposition of silicon and carbon cluster beams produced using a laser vaporization source.