Synthesis and characterization of cluster-assembled carbon thin films

Nanostructured carbon thin films have been produced by deposition of supersonic cluster beams. The clusters are generated by a pulsed are cluster ion source modified in order to achieve high fluxes and stability. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman, and optical spectroscopy show that the films are a low density network of nanometer-size particles. The nature of the films is essentially graphite-like with a large number of distorted bonds. The formation of structures based on sp(3) bondings is not Observed. The use of cluster beam deposition for the synthesis of nanocrystalline thin films is discussed. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.