Abstract
We report the first measurements of the optical functions of polycrystalline metal films throughout nucleation and growth. The dielectric function of aluminum, evaporated onto , was determined versus thickness d by real-time multichannel ellipsometry (1.3≤hν≤4.1 eV). We find that the electron relaxation time for the (200) parallel-band transition is independent of particle size during nucleation (d<50 Å) and increases abruptly only after coalescence. This behavior is not consistent with a classical size effect and suggests that the atomic structure of the particles dominates their optical properties.
- Received 13 September 1991
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.68.994
©1992 American Physical Society