Morphology and structure of gold-lithium niobate thin film: A laboratory source x-ray scattering study
S. Hazra
Surface Physics Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700 064, India

Laboratory source x-ray scattering setup has been used to determine the complete morphology and structure of an optically important composite thin film. Analysis of grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering, x-ray reflectivity and powder diffraction data of Au/LiNbO3 thin film prepared by sequential deposition of gold and lithium niobate on float glass substrate suggest that the Au-nanocrystallites are dispersed in amorphous medium, which although have average separation but do not have any long range periodicity other than growth or z-direction. The morphology of the nanocomposite thin film determined through x-ray scattering measurements agrees well with the measured optical absorption.