The influence of point defects on NaCl surfaces on spatial distributions in gold deposits

Abstract

Particle number densities, size, and spatial distributions in gold deposits on NaCl cleavage surfaces, with varying defect densities, which are produced by electron bombardment, are investigated by TEM. On substrates with medium to high defect densities, the particles are randomly distributed, caused by decoration of point defects. In the case of very low defect densities, the spatial distributions are non‐uniform, with peaks at both large separations and at a preferred edge‐to‐edge distance of only 6 nm. The results are interpreted by superimposed interparticle attractive and repulsive forces, which originate from strain fields in the substrate lattice in the vicinity of the clusters, and by stresses at the interface between cluster and substrate, respectively.