Microscopic decoration of ferroelectric polymer surfaces by gold films

Abstract We have studied, by using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), the structure of gold films, 400 A thick covering the surface of spincoated ferroelectric polymer samples. We found the structure of the gold film to be strongly dependent on the previous treatment and history of the polymer sample before it was covered by the gold film. Gold films evaporated on non-annealed, and therefore amorphous polymer samples, adopt an irregular island structure as often observed for gold films on glass surfaces. However, gold films on annealed crystalline or even poled polymer samples show a regular striation pattern strongly resembling the expected lamellar domain structure of the polymer surface. We believe that either the surface electric field of the ferroelectric crystalline domains or the stronger chemical affinity of gold to one of the polarization dependent surface atoms of the polymer (fluorine or hydrogen) are responsible for the anomalous wetting pattern of gold on the polymer surface. In summary, ...