Molecular dynamics simulation of cluster ion bombardment of solid surfaces

The Molecular Dynamics Method (MMD) is used for a simulation of interactions with gold and silicon surfaces of accelerated Ar_n(n ∼ 55-200) cluster ions with energies of 10 to 100 eV per cluster atom. The gold target sputtering yield Y can be described by a power dependence Y ∼ E^2.35 on the Ar cluster total energy. The result of this calculation agrees with the experimental data point at an energy of 29 keV and a cluster size of 300 Ar atoms. The simulation shows that the sputtered flux for normally cluster incidence has a significant lateral momentum component. By oblique cluster incidence the sputtered flux is predominantly directed into a mirror angle. The sputtered surface material contains not only atoms but also small clusters. The preliminary results of the simulation of Ar cluster ions implantation after their impact on the Si(001) target shows that a significant amount of impinging Ar cluster atoms can be implanted into the target subsurface region.