Role of vacuum fluctuation forces in thin metal film stability

Thin metal films are subject to the pressure caused by the zero-point oscillations of the electromagnetic field, which depends upon the film optical properties and the substrate reflectivity. It has been suggested that the force may be relevant in determining the stability of deposited pseudomorphic films with respect to buckling or island formation. We present a detailed analysis of its behaviour as a function of the optical parameters and we illustrate the conditions under which it may play some role.