Highly versatile concept for precise tailoring of nanogranular composites with a gas aggregation cluster source.

A concept for the precise tailoring of a wide variety of nanogranular composites with a gas aggregation cluster source and a magnetron is presented. Electrical charging of the preformed clusters and the substrate in a plasma is discussed as a fundamental physical hindrance for conventional co-sputtering with a cluster source. The proposed concept overcomes this hindrance and is experimentally demonstrated for the deposition of a dielectric aluminum nitride matrix with embedded magnetic cobalt clusters. Chemical, magnetic, and structural analyses of the composite confirm the feasibility of the proposed concept as a versatile route for the preparation of nanocomposites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]