Abstract
This paper describes an experimental investigation of the effect of illumination on the growth of vacuum-deposited thin metal films. The difference in structure between films deposited simultaneously with and without illumination has been studied by electron microscopy using several metal/substrate combinations. A detailed investigation is made of the range of wavelength, intensity, deposition rate and film thickness for which the effect occurs. The mechanism by which the growth of thin metal films is affected by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation is discussed and also the manner in which this absorption takes place. It is shown that there is a correlation between the structure of the illuminated films and their electrical conductivity. A practical application is described whereby a metal film with conducting and insulating regions can be formed by projecting a light pattern onto a substrate during deposition.
Published Version
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