Structure and morphology of the Ni films grown by different deposition methods

The topography of the surface is known to substantially affect the properties of a thin film. The morphology of Ni thin films grown by three different methods, viz. thermal evaporation, r. f. sputtering, electrodeposition, have been studied using ex situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technique. The X-ray diffraction study suggested a polycrystalline growth of films grown by all three different methods. The surfaces were analyzed qualitatively by visual inspection and quantitatively by statistical, spectral and correlation analysis. The analysis gave consistent interpretations of distinct morphologies of Ni film grown by different method of deposition.