Immobilization of large size-selected silver clusters on graphite

This paper discusses a novel deposition route of size-selected metal clusters, specifically Ag-N(+) (where N = 2700), on graphite. The Clusters are produced via a magnetron sputtering, gas aggregation cluster beam source and are size selected via a lateral tirne-of-flight mass filter. These Clusters are deposited on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) target predecorated with surface defects via Ar+ sputtering. Scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STM) reveals a stable, randomly dispersed array of Ag-2700 clusters after deposition.