A mathematical model is developed to describe the deposition of metal/semiconductor (M/SC) and monomer vapors at low temperature. An expression is proposed for the condensation coefficient of M/SC on the polymer surface, to represent the effect of temperature and polymer surface roughness. The nucleation of M/SC clusters strongly depends on the deposition rate and the temperature. However, their growth, size and final distribution depend on the monomer deposition rate and the subsequent polymerization process. High polymer deposition rate produces a particle distribution with a small mean size and a blunt shape in large size cluster. This prediction is in good agreement with the experimental data. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.