Surface roughening in electrodeposited nickel films on ITO glasses at a low current density

Abstract

We have studied the kinetic surface roughening of nickel films electrodeposited on ITO glasses at a low current density using atomic force microscopy (AFM), electron and X-ray diffraction. The AFM images of the nickel films exhibited the scaling relations represented by the growth exponent β=0.78±0.03 and the roughness exponent α=0.96±0.04, which is in good agreement with the prediction by the diffusion-driven growth model. Electron and X-ray diffraction revealed a preferred growth orientation of the electrodeposited nickel films, which gives an explanation for the growth exponent β greater than 1/2.