Physiochemical Effects of Heating Gold Thin Films on Gallium Arsenide

Abstract

The physiochemical effects of heating gold thin films on , namely, the arsenic evolution, gold‐to‐silver color transition, and microstructural changes, were investigated by in situ mass spectrometric evolved gas analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The gold‐to‐silver color transition was found to occur after a small amount of arsenic evolution. The transition temperature increased with increasing air pressure and gold film thickness. The relative quantities of arsenic species evolved followed the order . We observed a new microstructure consisting of interconnected irregularly shaped protrusions which appeared after a small amount of arsenic evolution and changed to the previously reported micro‐structure of aligned rectangular protrusions near the completion of the arsenic evolution.