Determination of Surface Structure using Ultra-High Vacuum Replication

Abstract

Electron microscopy has been applied to the problem of characterizing the distribution of preferred sites for nucleation and growth on clean surfaces of evaporated films of magnesium metal. The films were deposited, platinum‐shadowed, and carbon‐backed in the same system under ultra‐high vacuum conditions to minimize surface contamination and to improve the fidelity of surface replication. Upon examination of both clean and oxidized films in the electron microscope, the distribution of the platinum deposit was observed to be markedly influenced by the vacuum conditions used in the replication procedure. In addition, the particle size and separation of the platinum grains and their distribution, with relation to the substrate, indicated an enhanced surface mobility on cleaved mica and an apparent reaction on magnesium. These observations may have bearing on both the surface properties of metal deposits and on the development of high‐resolution replication techniques.