X-Ray Diffraction Study of Vacuum-Evaporated Silver Films

Silver films were prepared by evaporation onto glass substrates held near 130 °C at different residual gas pressures (10−4 to 10−7Torr). Powder-pattern peaks of these films (thicknesses 2000 Å and 6000 Å) were measured with Cu Kα radiation at room temperature, and the profiles subjected to a Fourier analysis to determine particle size, strains, and faulting. Films prepared in poorer vacuum (10−4–10−6Torr) show small particle sizes (∼500Å), very small root-mean-squared strains (∼0.0005) and evidence for deformation stacking faults and micro-twinning. Lattice parameter measurements indicate the presence of internal strains in films heated to 250 °C for 2 h and measured at room temperature.