Electroless deposition of silver thin films on gold nanoparticles catalyst for micro and nanoelectronics applications

In this work, the electroless deposition (ELD) of silver (Ag) thin films onto SiO2/Si surface modified by self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and activated by gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has been studied. Experimental results clearly indicate the successful deposition of the films. Three distinct stages, such as compact and isolated islands, coalesce equilibrium shapes, and continuous hole-free films, during the growth of the Ag films, were observed by HRSEM imaging. Optical and electrical properties of the films were investigated, and their dependence on the coating structure was discussed. The application of small AuNPs as catalyst for successful metallization is proposed. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.