Influence of surface defects on the nucleation and growth of thin discontinuous gold films

Abstract

In the past, several research groups have studied the nucleation and growth of thin metal films on various substrates. The results may be interpreted using the kinetic nucleation model proposed by Zinsmeister. In this theory the formation of crystallites is described as a two-dimensional polymerization process caused by atoms diffusing on the substrate surface. Biatomic and larger molecules are assumed to be immobile. Velfe et al. and Robins demonstrated a reduction of the number density of crystallites if the bombardment of the substrate surface with charged particles arising from the evaporation source is avoided. In the present paper the influence of charged particles on the nucleation process is studied systematically. Nucleation experiments are performed on the nearly defect-free cleavage planes of alkali halides along with investigations of surfaces damaged by electron irradiation. The results show that the kinetic nucleation model used in the past is not applicable.