Step-Directed Deposition of Au Nanostructures By Electron Beam Evaporation

Au atoms were vaporized by electron beam evaporation, and their subsequent growths on Si (111 ) and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) substrates were studied using atomic force microscopy. Results show that Au nanoparticles tend to nucleate and grow regularly along the step edges of HOPG, however, nanoparticles are distributed homogeneously over the whole Si substrate. The possibility of controlled growth of Au in ultrahigh vacuum with peculiar surface structures was preseuted.