Generation of Novel Aluminum Nano Balls

Abstract
Aluminum nano balls have been generated by the magnetron sputtering-gas aggregation method. The analyses of transmission electron microscope (TEM) images and electron diffraction patterns revealed that the balls are made of aluminum crystals covered with a thin layer of θ-type alumina. The balls deposited on a copper substrate were observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). They were found to land softly on the substrate without decomposition.