ABSTRACTNanostructured carbon films have been grown by deposition of supersonic cluster beams. A novel pulsed microplasma cluster source allows to obtain cluster beams of high intensity and stability. Cluster growth and beam formation have been charaterized. Separation effects typical of supersonic expansions cause inhomogeneities of cluster distribution in the beam, depending on their masses. This effect, observed for the first time, has been carefully characterized. The deposited films have a low density porous structure based on nanometer-size grains. The coordination is essentially three-fold with a large number of defects. Film density, morphology and surface roughness can be controlled by varying the precursor cluster mass distribution. Applications of cluster-assembled carbon films will be presented.
