Optical properties of sputtered gold clusters

Abstract

Gold particles, sputtered at different substrate temperatures, have been analyzed by both optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy techniques. Changes in the absorption band depending on the preparation of the films was observed and related to the bulk properties of the material. However, the bandwidth was nearly independent of particle concentration. It is suggested that a high concentration of microscopic and macroscopic defects, not observed in clusters grown with other techniques, is probably responsible for this behavior.