The invention describes a method of nanocrystalline metal cluster (e.g. Nickel) formation on water-soluble materials by using magnetron sputtering. The described method differs by using magnetron sputtering in reactive (Ar:O2) atmosphere for the synthesis of nanocrystalline clusters on water soluble materials, e.g. salt crystals. Geometrical size of the obtained nanocrystalline clusters correlate with the size of the used salt crystals: the larger the salt crystals – the larger the nanocrystalline cluster size. When larger amounts of working gas are used during synthesis (working pressure change from 1 ×10-2 mbar up to 1 ×10-1 mbar) crystallite size increases and vice versa. The increase of magnetron power density from 1W/cm2 up to 5W/cm2 increases deposition rate and rise the crystallinity of the synthesized clusters. In order to obtain high purity nanocrystalline materials clean salt (99.99 % and higher purity) must be used as a substrate, which later needs to be dissolved in pure water to separate the nanocrystalline clusters from salt substrate.

Number of the patent – 6290

The Patent

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