Saturation Density and Orientation of Discrete Nanostructures
on the Surface of Ionic Crystals

V. M. Ievlev, E. V. Shvedov, and D. V. Moskalev

Voronezh State Technical University, Moskovskii pr. 14, Voronezh, 394026 Russia

Abstract—The influence of substrate vacancies on the saturation density and orientation of islands upon vac-
uum condensation of metals onto ionic crystals is investigated for two specific systems. It is shown that the
anomalous temperature dependence of the saturation island density in the high-temperature range can be asso-
ciated with the mobility of vacancies and their trapping by the condensate–substrate interface. The nature of the
discrimination of a 180° position of Au tetrahedral islands within each mirror plane of a CaF₂ cleavage upon
vacuum condensation in the temperature range of oriented crystallization (350–370°C) is revealed. It is dem-
onstrated by the molecular dynamics method that the discrimination is caused by the predominant nucleation
of Au clusters on anion vacancies of the CaF₂ surface.

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