INTRINSIC STRESS OF POLYCRYSTALLINE AND EPITAXIAL AG, CU AND AU FILMS ON MICA(001)

Thin films of Ag, Cu and Au have been deposited onto single-crystalline mica (001) at different substrate temperatures and characterized in uhv by intrinsic stress measurements and low energy electron diffraction, as well as by scanning tunnelling microscopy in air. At room temperature the films are polycrystalline and exhibit film forces that are typical of the polycrystalline Vollmer-Weber mode, i.e. tensile forces during island, network and channel stages of film growth and compressive forces in the continuous films. At temperatures between 500 and 700 K film growth proceeds by the epitaxial Vollmer-Weber mode and films consisting of large, atomically flat grains are obtained. A huge stress contribution due to the formation of single-crystalline domain walls is observed during the network stage.