AVS 53rd International Symposium
    Thin Film Thursday Sessions
       Session TF-ThM

Paper TF-ThM8
Interpretation of the Roughness in Au(111) Polycrystalline Films

Thursday, November 16, 2006, 10:20 am, Room 2022

Session: Fundamentals in Thin Film Deposition
Presenter: E. Rodriguez-Canas, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Spain
Authors: E. Rodriguez-Canas, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Spain
J.A. Aznarez, Instituto de Fisica Aplicada (CSIC), Spain
E. Vasco, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Spain
J.L. Sacedon, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (CSIC), Spain
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Recently, the surface morphology of columnar polycrystalline Au(111) films grown by thermal evaporation on native SiO@sub x@-covered Si(100) has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The STM images reveal that the surface can be broken down into columnar-assembled paraboloidal-like elements. The analysis method based on the surface decomposition into single elements introduces a complete set of statistical parameters related to the elements shapes and allows to quantitatively characterize the Au(111) growth front. The height distribution curves of the imaged surfaces are described by means of an explicit expression of these shape parameters, which are connected with phenomena that control the columnar growth and the growth front evolution.@footnote 1@ After summarizing these results, we will show that the usual roughness or interface width can be decomposed as an algebraic expression of the statistical set of parameters. This expression allows to decompose the roughness into components with well-defined meanings. The roughness expression is applied to analyze the scaling laws of the roughness with deposition time in the Au(111) films and it is successfully compared with the experimental results. We extend the roughness analysis method proposed here to surface morphologies formed from elements with other shapes (e.g., conical- or spheroidal cap-like elements). The application of the method is suitable for columnar as well as for growth fronts composed by mounds. The relation of the components of the roughness with the various kinds of growth models is discussed. @FootnoteText@ @footnote 1@ J. L. Sacedón, E. Rodríguez-Cañas, C. Munuera, A. I. Oliva, and J. A. Aznárez, Phys. Rev. B 72, 195413 (2005).