ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY STUDY OF THE STRUCTURE OF CR FILMS DEPOSITED ON LOW-TEMPERATURE KCL SUBSTRATES

Thin chromium films (≲ 150 Å thick) have been prepared by vapour deposition onto cleaved surfaces of potassium chloride, which were held at temperatures in the range of 297-90 K. The structural form of the films has been studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. It was found that a critical temperature exists, above or below which the structure of the deposited film is crystalline or amorphous, respectively. This critical substrate temperature decreased as the rate of deposition increased. © 1979.