SURFACE-STRUCTURE OF SILVER THIN-FILMS ON IN2O3-SN AND AL2O3

Surface structure of thin silver films (200 Angstrom) on two technolog ically important films, indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminium oxide, ha s been studied using scanning tunneling microscope. ITO films were pre pared by reactive electron beam evaporation. Aluminium oxide films wer e prepared by oxidizing 2000 Angstrom thick aluminium films evaporated on to H-2 terminated single crystal silicon substrates. The surface s tructure of silver on ITO and aluminium oxide appeared to be same and was characteristic of Stranski-Krastanov type. The observed asymmetry in the island shape was attributed to the anisotropic nature of the st rain fields surrounding the nucleation centres.