Molecular-dynamics study of the structural rearrangements of Cu and Au clusters softly deposited on a Cu(001) surface

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Abstract
The soft deposition of copper and gold clusters on the Cu(001) surface is studied by constant energy molecular-dynamics simulations. The atomic interactions are mimicked by a many-body potential based on the tight-binding model. The influence of cluster size, substrate temperature, and incident kinetic energy (in the low-energy limit) is analyzed. Some of the simulations are extended up to a few hundred picoseconds and within this simulation time the cluster flattens and partially spreads over the surface, and the degree of spreading depends on the above variables. The influence of surface steps has also been studied and the deposited atoms seem to have a strong affinity for step-edge sites.