We have studied the effect of evaporation parameters on the growth of epita
xial silver films on mica. Our object was to grow films with large Rat area
s to be used as substrates in STM studies. We have found optimum parameters
which result in extremely Rat films which in the scale of several micromet
ers consist only of terraces several hundred nanometers wide and separated
by monatomic steps; and a few deep pinholes averaging an areal density of r
oughly one pinhole per every square micrometer of film surface. Certain oth
er parameter values produced exceedingly rough surfaces. (C) 2001 Elsevier
Science B.V. All rights reserved.