  We report here a quantitative method of Transmission Electron Microscopy
(TEM) to measure the shapes, sizes and volumes of nanoparticles which are
responsible for their properties. Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) acting as
nucleating agents for the electroless deposition of silver NPs on SU-8 polymers
were analyzed in this project. The atomic-number contrast (Z-contrast) imaging
technique reveals the height and effective diameter of each Au NP and a volume
distribution is obtained. Varying the reducing agents produced Au NPs of
different sizes which were found both on the polymer surface and in some cases
buried several nanometers below the surface. The morphology of Au NPs is an
important factor for systems that use surface-bound nanoparticles as nucleation
sites as in electroless metallization. Electrolessly deposited silver layers
reduced by hydroquinone on SU-8 polymer are analyzed in this project.
