The growth and morphology of thin films are directly related to their intrinsic stress. In the system silver on mica (001) three different Vollmer-Weber-type growth modes were clearly distinguished by in situ intrinsic-stress measurements, using a very sensitive cantilever beam device. For epitaxial silver films, a stress contribution due to the formation of single crystalline domain walls is observed.

• Received 22 April 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.44.3369