Optimum deposition conditions of ultrasmooth silver nanolayers

Table 1 AFM scan parameters of 9 × 9 μm ² area of 30-nm-thick Ag layer

Ag/Ge/Al₂O₃	295 K	170 K	140 K	90 K
Ten-point height [nm]	2.04	6.79	50.5	112.3
Average height [nm]	1.73	3.65	40.96	90.88
RMS roughness [nm]	0.49	0.77	9.54	28.30

Thin Ag films were deposited on sapphire substrates with 1-nm Ge wetting layer at different temperatures.