The quasi-simultaneous deposition of low energy mass selected C⁺ and either Au⁺ or Fe⁺ ions resulted in the formation of alternately metal-rich and metal-deficient layers in an amorphous carbon matrix with periods in the nm range. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the metal-rich layers consist of rather densely distributed crystalline particles while the metal-deficient layers are amorphous or contain only smaller numbers of crystalline clusters. The concentration variation is confirmed by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy depth profiling. A similar structure was found in films grown by reactive dc-magnetron sputtering of Cu, Pt, and Ni targets in an Ar/CH₄ plasma. Also films deposited with reactive rf-magnetron sputtering of Fe targets in an Ar/CH₄ plasma show hints of a layered structure. The processes during mass selected ion beam deposition and magnetron sputtering deposition are far from thermodynamical equilibrium. Therefore, the formation of such periodic concentration variations cannot be attributed to mechanisms like Liesegang pattern formation. The multilayer formation can be described by an interplay of sputtering, surface segregation, ion induced diffusion, and the stability of small clusters against ion bombardment.

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1. Electronic properties of graphite-like ion tracks in insulating tetrahedral amorphous carbon