  Lead island films were obtained via vacuum vapor deposition on glass and
ceramic substrates at 80 K. Electrical conductance was measured during vapor
condensation and further annealing of the film up to room temperature. The
resistance behavior during film formation and atomic force microscopy of
annealed films were used as information sources about their structure. A model
for the quenched growth, based on ballistic aggregation theory, was proposed.
The nanostructure, responsible for chemiresistive properties of thin lead films
and the mechanism of sensor response are discussed.
