Deposition Dynamics of Hydrogenated Silicon Clusters on a Crystalline Silicon Substrate under Typical Plasma Conditions

We have studied the deposition dynamics of hydrogenated silicon clusters on a silicon substrate for various cluster sizes and impact energies. The results show that the interaction processes of silicon nanocrystals with a crystalline silicon substrate strongly depend on the impact energy ranging from elastic scattering over soft-landing to cluster destruction with penetration of some cluster atoms into the substrate. Under certain conditions, epitaxial-like recrystallization of clusters has been observed after the initial cluster structure was completely lost upon surface impact. The reaction mechanisms as a function of impact energy are in good agreement with recent experimental results.