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We use a variety of experimental techniques to characterize Cu clusters on bulk MoS2 formed via physical vapor deposition of Cu in ultrahigh vacuum, at temperatures ranging from 300 K to 900 K. We find that large facetted clusters grow at elevated temperatures, using high Cu exposures. The cluster size distribution is bimodal, and under some conditions, large clusters are surrounded by a denuded zone. We propose that defect-mediated nucleation, and coarsening during deposition, are both operative in this system. At 780 K, a surprising type of facetted cluster emerges, and at 900 K this type predominates: pyramidal clusters with a triangular base, exposing (311) planes as side facets. This is a growth shape, rather than an equilibrium shape. Disciplines Applied Mathematics | Engineering Physics | Materials Chemistry | Metallurgy Comments This article is published as Jing, Dapeng, Ann Lii-Rosales, King C. Lai, Qiang Li, Jaeyoun Kim, Michael C. Tringides, James W. Evans, and Patricia A. Thiel. "Non-equilibrium growth of metal clusters on a layered material: Cu on MoS2." 22 New Journal of Physics (2020): 053033. DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/ab84b5. Posted with permission. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Authors Dapeng Jing, Ann Lii-Rosales, King C. Lai, Qiang Li, Jaeyoun Kim, Michael C. Tringides, James W. Evans, and Patricia A. Thiel This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/chem_pubs/1222