Laser-initiated deposition reactions: Microchemistry in organogold polymer films

Micron-sized gold features have been produced by the cw Ar+ laser-initiated decomposition of thin organogold polymer films. These features may exhibit pronounced periodic structure under a wide variety of experimental conditions, resulting from propagation of the reaction front ahead of the laser by the heat of reaction associated with the chemical transformation. Gold features formed by irradiation of gold chloride-doped polymer films further demonstrate these thermal effects. Thermoanalytical studies provide pertinent data for selection of suitable precursor materials.