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Precise and reproducible deposition of thin and ultrathin carbon films by flash evaporation of carbon yarn in high vacuum
Author(s) -
Peters KlausRüdiger
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1984.tb00459.x
Subject(s) - materials science , carbon fibers , carbon film , evaporation , flash (photography) , vacuum deposition , deposition (geology) , thin film , flash evaporation , nanotechnology , composite material , optoelectronics , optics , chemistry , thermodynamics , paleontology , physics , chromatography , sediment , biology , composite number
SUMMARY A simple, small device and its use for reproducible flash evaporation of carbon yarn in high vacuum are characterized. Using this flash evaporator, carbon films of any thickness up to 20 nm can be deposited without spark generation under minimized photon radiation, and with an accuracy better than ±0·2 nm. The films have less background structure (imaged in phase contrast) than conventionally rod evaporated films and are therefore suitable for many kinds of thin and ultrathin carbon film applications in electron microscopy, e.g. as backing for formvar films or sections, as isolating carbon layers for autoradiography, as ultrathin films (floated from mica) for support of macromolecules to be metal shadowed and as support and cover for negative staining of various specimens by the sandwich technique.