Structural Studies of Nickel Films and their Interface with Sapphire Substrates

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe perfection of epitaxial nickel films grown on the (00.ℓ) or basal plane of heated sapphire (A1203) single crystals were studied with X-ray diffraction techniques. Nickel films approximately 700 Å thick formed by vapor deposition increased in perfection as the temperature of the sapphire approached 1400°C. Although the nickel atom distances are 10.3% smaller than those of the closed-packed direction in sapphire, the strain was accommodated at the interface rather than being distributed through the thickness of the nickel film. Diffuse rods of X-ray scattering which are associated with diffraction from the interface gave information about the nature of the roughness at the interface.