EFFECTS OF POLYMER SUBSTRATE SURFACE-ENERGY ON NUCLEATION AND GROWTH OF EVAPORATED GOLD-FILMS

Discontinuous gold films with up to 4.0 nm nominal thickness were depo sited on five different polymer substrates using a resistively-heated evaporation source. images of gold particles from these films were cre ated with low-voltage scanning electron microscopy and were analyzed w ith a digital camera and computer-processed image analysis. On all fiv e substrates, growth was island-like, and the increase of surface cove rage progressed at a similar rate, approximately proportional to the c ube-root of nominal thickness. For a fixed amount of deposited gold, t he size, shape and density of particles were characterized for each co mposition of polymer substrate. The rates of particle growth and coale scence were different on each polymer surface and were correlated to t he surface energy of the polymer substrate. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.