Study of the tunnel conductance and electronic screening in nanoclusters of d metals on graphite surface

The evolution of the electronic structure of pulsed-laser-deposited nanoclusters of noble and transition metals (Au, Cu, Ni, Co, Cr) on a graphite surface with a decrease in their size from 10 to 1 nm has been investigated by scanning tunnel spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. The data obtained suggest that the properties of nanoclusters differ from metallic when the lateral cluster size reaches ～2–3 nm and the height reaches ～1 nm and that the shape of clusters (transition from three-dimensional to two-dimensional ones) significantly affects their transition to the nonmetallic state.