Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help
O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 28: Oxide and insulator surfaces: Structure, epitaxy and growth – Poster
O 28.7: Poster
Monday, March 9, 2026, 18:00–20:00, P2
Initial stages of gold nanoparticle growth on sapphire — •Hannah Hilmer1, Chris Schröder1, Tobias Pollenske1, Timo Kuschel2,4, Arno Jeromin3, and Joachim Wollschläger1 — 1Institute of Physics, Univ. Osnabrück, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany — 2Faculty of Physics, Univ. Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany — 3Centre for X-ray and Nano Science CXNS, Deutsches Elektronen-Sychrotron DESY, 22607 Hamburg, Germany — 4Institute of Physics, Johannes Gutenberg Univ. Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
Gold nanoparticles are of great interest for applications in catalysis, sensor technology, and electronics due to their shape- and size-dependent optical, electrical, and chemical properties. Their morphological and electronic properties depend heavily on the growth conditions. Al2O3(0001) is particularly well suited as a substrate due to its chemical stability and well-defined surface structure.
For this purpose, gold was deposited in ultra-high vacuum using thermal molecular beam evaporation at different deposition durations and varying substrate temperatures. In addition, thermal post annealing was carried out at different temperatures.
The growth processes of Au on Al2O3(0001) substrates were characterized using XRR, XPS and LEED. The results show that gold grows on sapphire in the initial stage according to Volmer-Weber growth as discontinuous islands. SEM and EDX analyses show clearly defined gold particles whose size and distribution depend strongly on the substrate temperature, the evaporation time per interval, and annealing temperature.
Keywords: MBE; Au-Nanoparticles; Al2O3(0001); XPS; SEM/EDX