Pure metal and metal-doped rare-gas clusters grown in a pulsed ARC cluster ion source

Abstract

The performance of a new pulsed arc cluster ion source (PACIS) is demonstrated for pure metal cluster ions and anions as well as mixed metal-rare-gas clusters. Pure metal clusters like W n + exhibit intensity distributions similar to those from laser vaporization sources. The ion current of the PACIS is comparable to that of a laser vaporization source. For metal-doped argon cluster ions, a single aluminium atom serves as the central ion which is surrounded by argon atoms arranged in an icosahedron. These measurements therefore strongly support the close packing model for argon clusters.