Lattice distortion energy spectra of thin evaporated silver films

Thin silver films (thickness, 12.5–160 nm) were evaporated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions onto clean glass substrates (substrate temperature, 225 K). During the growth process a large number of lattice defects were incorporated (condensation rate, 0.2 and 0.01 nm s^-1). The films were subjected to heat treatment (constant heating rate, 0.1 K s^-1) and the variation in the electrical resistance was measured as a function of temperature. Using Vand's theory the initial lattice distortion energy spectra of the films were determined from the resistance-temperature data. The lattice distortion energy function has maximum values. While the number of distortions with a decay energy of about 0.8 eV increases rapidly with decreasing film thickness, the number of distortions with a decay energy of about 0.93 eV varies only slightly.