UHV In-Situ Electron Microscopy of thin Film Growth

Abstract

An ultra-high vacuum (UHV) electron microscope was constructed for special purpose of in-situ studies of thin film growth and some experimental results have already been published (1). Here, recent results are described.1. Au/graphite (nucleation and growth mode). Growths of Au in a dendritic shape at 150°C were observed on graphite. The dendritic morphology was said to be characteristic of the Au growth on UHV cleaved graphite (2). We cleaned an air cleaved surface by heating in UHV EM (10-8 torr) for 20 minutes prior to the Au deposition. The dendritic shape growth in Fig. 1, therefore, indicates that the graphite surface became clean with the present heat treatment and that the in-situ studies were done under clean conditions.