Metal particles on the surfaces of heat-treated ceramic thin films

Transmission electron microscopy has been used to study the orientation relationships between small metal particles and heat-treated ceramic thin films. Thinned samples were prepared in a form suitable for imaging in the electron microscope and then heat-treated both to remove damage at the sample surface introduced during ion milling and to produce a well-defined surface morphology. Metal particles were then deposited onto the surface by heating the sample in the presence of a metal source. The material systems studied were SiC and Al2O3, as the thin film with the particles being copper and tungsten. © 1992.