ROLE OF ELECTRICAL RELIEF OF SURFACES OF CRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATES IN NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF THIN FILMS

A new method of electrical decoration of single crystal surfaces based on selective crystallization of silver chloride by thermal evaporation is described. At the early stages of deposition, AgCl crystallizes as a continous monocrystalline film on such elements of the surface which have the largest negative potential, while on the other elements it crystallizes as discrete crystals positioned randomly. It is shown that in many cases just the electrical, and not the geometrical, relief of crystal substrate surfaces accounts for the selectivity of nucleation and growth. © 1969.