EFFECT OF ARRIVAL ENERGY ON PROPERTIES OF GOLD FILMS

A comparison of the structural and electrical properties of thin evaporated and sputtered gold films on glass substrates has been made. Particular attention has been paid to the effect of the difference in mean energy of the condensing atoms associated with each method of deposition. Evidence was found for an increase in the nucleation density of evaporated films when deposited in the presence of a low pressure argon discharge, and this is thought to indicate the appearance of charge on the substrate. A further increase in nucleation density was found when the films were sputtered, and this suggests that the nucleation process may be dependent on the arrival energy of the atoms. An anomalously low final resistivity was observed for the sputtered gold films and this was found to be a result of using a low target potential. High resistivities and a reduced crystallite size characterised films produced at a high target potential, and the change in structure is thought to be due to a change in the mean energy of the sputtered gold atoms. © 1969.