A simple method has been developed for the prodn. of Au surfaces which are uniformly flat over large areas. Si wafers serve as substrates for the evapn. of thin Au layers. A glass slide glued onto the Au film allows successful sepn. of the Au layer from the Si oxide surface. The process leaves a flat Au surface suitable for chem. modification. The surfaces were characterized using scanning force microscopy. An av. roughness of 2.5 .ANG. over areas up to 1000 mm2 was found. Scanning force microscopy images on the micron scale of lipid monolayer structures transferred onto these Au surfaces were obtained. [on SciFinder (R)]