Au/Si3N4 films have been prepared by gold and silicon nitride sequential sputtering with different Au thicknesses. The goal is to investigate the Au growth mode and to identify the regime where Au nanoparticles (NPs) can be prepared. The number of Au atoms, the bilayer thickness, the Au environment, the size, and the organization of the particles have been determined. Gold appears in metallic form. The thickest Au layer (8 nm) is continuous whereas the thinnest ones (with average values of 1-3 nm) are formed by nearly spherical Au NPs with diameters in the 5-7 nm range. Au NPs spatial self-organization is observed for average thickness of t(Au) = 2.9 nm. These growth modes are discussed and compared with those observed for other metal/Si3N4 systems prepared in similar conditions. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3359705]