Physics of the Photographic Latent Image

SEP 01, 1989

The high sensitivity and efficiency of silver halide film can be traced to mesoscopic metal clusters—small groups of silver atoms subject to quantum size effects and the influence of their immediate environment.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881181

Tadaaki Tani

How does photographic film give such good images with so little exposure to light? The answer, in a word, is amplification. Light causes clusters of silver atoms to form on silver halide microcrystals in a photographic emulsion. These clusters, which may contain as few as three or four silver atoms, catalyze the reduction of all the silver ions in the microcrystals to which they are attached, giving a “gain” of over a billion. This is the basis for the high sensitivity and image quality of silver halide photographic film. As I will explain in this article, much is known about the physical mechanisms involved, and by using this knowledge one can improve the sensitivity and efficiency of film.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

1. J. F. Hamilton, in The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th ed., T. H. James, ed., Macmillan, New York (1977), chap. 4.
J. F. Hamilton, Adv. Phys. 37, 359 (1988).https://doi.org/ADPHAH
2. R. W. Gurney, N. F. Mott, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 164, 151 (1938).https://doi.org/PRLAAZ
3. J. W. Mitchell, Rep. Prog. Phys. 20, 433 (1957).https://doi.org/RPPHAG
4. J. F. Hamilton, L. E. Brady, J. Appl. Phys. 30, 1893, 1902 (1959).https://doi.org/RPPHAG
5. T. A. Babcock, T. H. James, J. Photogr. Sci. 24, 19 (1976).https://doi.org/JPTSAF
6. R. K. Hailstone, J. F. Hamilton, J. Imaging Sci. 29, 125 (1985).https://doi.org/JISCEJ
7. P. Fayet, F. Granzer, G. Hegenbart, E. Moisar, B. Pischel, L. Woste, Phys. Rev. Lett. 55, 3002 (1985).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
8. I. Konstantinov, A. Panov, J. Malinowski, J. Photogr. Sci. 21, 250 (1973).https://doi.org/JPTSAF
9. T. Tani, oral presentation at the 1981 International Symposium on Fundamentals of Latent Image Formation and Photosensitive Interfaces, available from SPSE, Soc. Imaging Sci. Tech., Springfield, Va.
10. T. Tani, Photogr. Sci. Eng. 27, 75 (1983).https://doi.org/PSENAC
11. H. E. Spencer, L. E. Brady, J. F. Hamilton, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 57, 1020 (1967).https://doi.org/JOSAAH
12. T. Tani, S. Takada, Photogr. Sci. Eng. 26, 111 (1982).https://doi.org/PSENAC
13. T. Tani, Photogr. Sci. Eng. 15, 181 (1971).https://doi.org/PSENAC
14. J. F. Hamilton, R. C. Baetzold, Photogr. Sci. Eng. 25, 189 (1981).https://doi.org/PSENAC
15. J. M. Harbison, H. E. Spencer, in The Theory of the Photographic Process, 4th ed., T. H. James, ed., Macmillan, New York (1977), p. 152.
G. Lowe, internal report on reduced sensitization, Eastman Kodak Co, Rochester, N.Y. (1963).
16. T. Tani, J. Appl. Phys. 62, 2456 (1987).https://doi.org/JAPIAU
17. T. Tani, J. Photogr. Sci. 30, 41 (1986).https://doi.org/JPTSAF
18. R. K. Hailstone, N. B. Liebert, M. Levy, R. T. McCleary, S. R. Girolmo, D. L. Jeanmaire, C. R. Boda, J. Imaging Sci. 32, 113 (1988).https://doi.org/JISCEJ
19. T. Tani, J. Imaging Sci. 29, 93 (1985).https://doi.org/JISCEJ
20. G. R. Bird, R. C. Jones, A. E. Ames, Appl. Opt. 8, 2389 (1969).https://doi.org/APOPAI
21. H. Kanzaki, Y. Tadakuma, in preprint book for the Second International East‐West Symposium on Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Photographic Imaging, SPSE, Society of Imaging Science and Technology, Springfield, Va (1988).
22. R. J. Deri, J. P. Spoonhower, Photogr. Sci. Eng. 28, 92 (1984).https://doi.org/PSENAC
23. D. V. Brumbaugh, A. A. Muenter, W. Knox, G. Mourou, B. Wittmershaus, J. Lumin. 31/32, 783 (1984).https://doi.org/JLUMA8
24. K. Takahashi, K. Obi, I. Tanaka, T. Tani, Chem. Phys. Lett. 154, 223 (1989).https://doi.org/CHPLBC

More about the authors

Tadaaki Tani, Fuji Photo Film Company's Ashigara Research Laboratories, Kanagawa, Japan.