Studies of Epitaxial Growth of Metallic and Nonmetallic Films by Means of High-Resolution Ciné and Still-Electron Microscopy

Abstract

Growth processes of metallic vacuum deposits, Ag and Au, and nonmetallic deposits, PbS and PbSe, on MgO and MoS2 substrates have been studied by means of direct cine recording of electron micrographs resolvable down to 17 A moire spacing. The detailed kinetics of the film growth as revealed by the moire fringes are discussed in the light of growth mechanisms. The main differences between the metallic and nonmetallic film growths are the absence, in the cases of nonmetallic film growth, of “liquid-like” behavior during coalescence, and lack of the secondary nucleation, which are known to be very important in metallic film growth. Growth processes of so-called multiply-twinned particles and twin formation and release in the metallic film growth have also been studied. The direct observation of formation of pseudomorphic interfacial dislocations was carried out in the case of PbSe on PbS. The lattice spacing anomalies in pseudomorphic overgrowth have been examined by means of high-resolution still-electron m...