Interaction of surface acoustic waves with current carriers in discontinuous metal films

A model of the interaction of surface acoustic waves with current carriers in discontinuous ultrathin metal films is developed on the basis of a simplified theory of electrical conduction advanced by Neugebauer and Webb. It is shown that the attenuation, change in phase velocity, and acoustoelectric current depend on a parameter, associated with a relaxation process inherent in the conduction mechanism, which is determined by the structural characteristics of the film. The model is in reasonable agreement with experimental results, except in inhomogeneous films, where complications may arise.