NEW ASPECTS IN VOLMER-WEBER 3D GROWTH - AN XPS INTENSITY STUDY APPLIED TO THIN-FILMS OF AU AND CE ON POLYPROPYLENE

A new method of analyzing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy or Auger electron spectroscopy intensity data is proposed, which allows an easy distinction between the established growth modes (Frank-van der Merwe, Stranski-Krastanov, Volmer-Weber) of thin films. The method, applied to thin films of Au or Ce on polypropylene (PP), reveals detailed information about the growth mode. For Ce one observes Volmer-Weber growth at fixed substrate coverage, while for the less reactive gold, the film growth is island-like. The different chemical reactivity of the two metals towards PP is the probable cause for the film growth mode.