Uniformly Flat Gold Surfaces: Imaging the Domain Structure of Organic Monolayers Using Scanning Force Microscopy

Abstract

A simple method has been developed for the production of gold surfaces which are uniformly flat over large areas. Silicon wafers serve as substrates for the evaporation of thin gold layers. A glass slide glued onto the gold film allows successful separation of the gold layer from the silicon oxide surface. The process leaves a flat gold surface suitable for chemical modification. The surfaces were characterized using scanning force microscopy. An average roughness of 2.5 Å over areas up to 1000 μm2 was found. We show scanning force microscopy images on the micron scale of lipid monolayer structures transferred onto these gold surfaces.