NASA gold film on epoxy, 3-D view.

This sample was provided by NASA. The gold film, from a satellite reflector component, was made by rolling gold foil onto an epoxy surface. The roughness of the surface was measured to be 5 Å rms. It is amazing that the surface was so flat, in light of the manufacturing method used. The image was obtained in contact mode with a Quesant model Q-250.