Amorphous Oxide Layers on Gold and Nickel Films Observed by Electron Microscopy

Abstract

Thin films of vapor‐deposited nickel and gold, supported only by copper grids, were annealed inside the electron microscope. The microstructures were recorded as a function of temperature. The originally continuous thin films of nickel (150 Å thick) and gold (400 Å thick) form discontinuous islands at temperatures of 700° and 600°C, respectively. The islands of metal are supported by a thin amorphous membrane, in the nickel films identified as NiO, that accounts for the high tensile strengths observed on thin films.