Effects on energetic impact of atomic clusters with surfaces

A brief state-of-the-art review in the field of cluster ion interaction with surface is presented. Cluster beams are efficient tools for manipulating agglomerates of atoms providing control over the synthesis as well as modification of surfaces on the nm-scale. The application of cluster beams for technological purposes requires knowledge of the physics of cluster-surface impact. This has some significant differences compared to monomer ion – surface interactions. The main effects of cluster-surface collisions are discussed. Recent results obtained in experiments on silicon surface nanostructuring using keV-energy implantation of inert gas cluster ions are presented and compared with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.