Preparation of ordered thin gold films

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 152; no. 3; pp. 259 - 265
• Main Authors: Höpfner, U, Hehl, Helmut, Brehmer, Ludwig
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-11-1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: AFM; Applied sciences; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Crystal growth; Epitaxy; Exact sciences and technology; Materials science; Metals. Metallurgy; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Thin gold film; Vacuum deposition; Crystal growth; GI; Au; TI; Epitaxy; EL; AFM; Thin gold film; APN; Thin films; Gold; Experimental study; Transition elements; Vacuum deposition; Film growth
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/S0169-4332(99)00324-4

Nanotechnological research or processing often requires substrates with an atomically flat gold surface for the growth of ordered organic thin films. A phenomenological study was carried out to find a reliable way for the gold thin film preparation. A moderate amount of preparation efforts and low costs were mainly considered. The investigation leads to two procedures. A two step process if the attention is focused on the lateral crystallite's dimension and a single step process if more emphasis has to be put on average flatness of the film. Both processes allow to grow gold films with single crystalline areas larger than 1 μm in diameter which is sufficient as substrates for self assembling or organic film growth.