Study on Vacuum Deposition of Metals, II. On the Change with Aging Time in Thickness and Resistivity of Vacuum Deposited Gold Film

Abstract

Changes with aging time in electrical resistivity and thickness of vacuum deposited gold film were measured on the same specimen. Kiessig's X-ray interference method was employed for the measurement of film thickness. It was observed that film thickness decreased in exactly the same manner as the resistivity. The proportionality constant between resistivity change and fractional-volume change was about 2.5×10 -4 ohm·cm which agreed well with the quenching experiment of gold in bulk by Bauerle and Koehler, and this suggests that the resistivity change in vacuum deposited gold film at room temperature is predominantly due to a vacancy mechanism just as the case of quenched material in bulk.