Thin films of vapor-deposited nickel and gold, supported only by copper grids, were annealed inside the electron microscope. The microstructures were recorded as a function of temperature. The originally continuous thin films of nickel (150 Å thick) and gold (400 Å thick) form discontinuous islands at temperatures of 700° and 600°C, respectively. The islands of metal are supported by a thin amorphous membrane, in the nickel films identified as NiO, that accounts for the high tensile strengths observed on thin films.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.