CROSS CHARACTERIZATION BY SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY AND ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY OF AG ISLANDS GROWN ON SI(111) 7X7

Two types of microscopy, scanning electron (SEM) and atomic force micr oscopy (AFM), have been used in a comparative way to study very big (1 0-40 mum) Ag islands grown on a Si(111) square-root 3 x square-root 3 interface. The signals used for image formation are of very different nature; secondary electrons emitted from the sample, in SEM and, in AF M, light deflected from the system probing the surface. In the present study, both microscopes were used in similar magnification ranges. A rather irregular morphology of the islands and a surface topography wi th large inhomogeneities on the top face were observed. The size distr ibution of the islands was found to be very wide. AFM and SEM, for min or differences, basically give access to the same results.