Fracturing under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV, p ≤ 10-9 Torr) produces membrane fracture faces devoid of contamination. Such clean surfaces are a prerequisite foe studies of interactions between condensing molecules is possible and surface forces are unequally distributed, the condensate will accumulate at places with high binding forces; crystallites will arise which may be useful a probes for surface sites with specific physico-chemical properties. Specific “decoration” with crystallites can be achieved nby exposing membrane fracture faces to water vopour. A device was developed which enables the production of pure water vapour and the controlled variation of its partial pressure in an UHV freeze-fracture apparatus (Fig.1a). Under vaccum (≤ 10-3 Torr), small container filled with copper-sulfate-pentahydrate is heated with a heating coil, with the temperature controlled by means of a thermocouple. The water of hydration thereby released enters a storage vessel.
