Reactive Co-sputtering Research Articles

Photocatalytic activity of TiO2/SiO2 nanocomposites synthesized by reactive magnetron sputtering technique

TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposites were synthesized by DC reactive magnetron cosputtering technique using different O2 : Ar gas mixing ratios. The structural and spectroscopic characteristics of the synthesized samples were introduced using x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and UV-visible spectroscopy. The XRD results revealed that all nanocomposite samples were polycrystalline. The functional groups of these samples were identified by FTIR. The UV-visible spectra of these samples showed an absorption edge at 450 nm. The results of photodegradation of organic and water pollutants under UV irradiation suggest that the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 / SiO2 nanocomposite is highly improved as compared with that of TiO2 nanophotocatalyst.

Thermochromic SmNiO3-δ thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering and crystallized by soft-annealing in air

Samarium nickelate (SmNiO3) exhibits a metal-insulator transition (MIT) around 120 °C and therefore appears to be an excellent candidate for a new generation of thermochromic solar absorbers. Nevertheless, this kind of perovskite is classically obtained under extreme conditions to stabilize the metastable Ni3+ oxidation state. Here, we show that SmNiO3-δ thin films can be synthesized under soft-annealing as the habitual orthorhombic distorted perovskite structure. The layers were deposited by reactive magnetron co-sputtering and subsequently annealed for crystallization for 2 h at 500 °C in air. Structural characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, while optical and electrical properties were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the four-point probe method, respectively. The Ni3+ ion was confirmed by Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). Finally, reversible thermochromic behavior was observed with an MIT temperature estimated at 138 °C and an IR contrast of 19%.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Co-Sputtering (Mo, Hf)N Coatings

This work focused on the microstructure and mechanical properties of (Mo, Hf)N coatings deposited by radio frequency reactive magnetron co-sputtering technique with input power modulation. The coating characteristics, including indentation hardness, modulus, and tribological behavior, were discussed in terms of deposition parameter, composition, phase, and microstructure. The (Mo, Hf)N thin films were fabricated at a fixed Ar/N2 inlet gas ratio of 12/8 sccm/sccm and modulated input powers. The input power of Mo was fixed at 150 W, while that of the Hf target was managed from 25 to 200 W. The deposition rate and the Hf content of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings increased with input power. The (Mo, Hf)N ternary nitride coatings showed a polycrystalline microstructure with B1-MoN(111), β-Mo2N (112), γ-Mo2N(111), (200), and MoN2(200) phases in X-ray diffraction patterns as input power modulation were 150/25 to 150/100 W/W. The multiple phase microstructure feature and detail crystal development were demonstrated through transmission electron microscopy. According to nanoindentation and wear test results, ternary (Mo, Hf)N coatings represented more improved mechanical characteristics than the MoN and HfN binary nitride films. The 150/100 W/W deposited (Mo, Hf)N coating exhibited a highest hardness of 22.5 GPa when Hf content was at 5.6 at.%. The superior anti-wear behavior of this film with least wear damage was observed as well. The multiphase and solid-solution strengthening of the (Mo, Hf)N coatings, i.e., a microstructure feature of mixed B1-MoN, β-Mo2N, γ-Mo2N, and MoN2 phases and Hf doping in MoN, were the responsible for the superior mechanical and tribological behavior for the (Mo, Hf)N coatings.

Room temperature photoluminescence and spectroscopic ellipsometry of reactive co-sputtered Cu-doped ZnO thin films

In this present work, reactive co-sputtering (DC) has been used to deposit the pure ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO (Cu-ZnO) thin films on a glass substrate. The copper atoms are subsumed into ZnO thin film by co-sputtering(RF) of a pure copper target. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Raman spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), UV-Visible spectroscopy, and ellipsometry were used to examine pure ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO thin films. XRD reveals the wurtzite crystal structure for both pure and Cu-doped ZnO thin films. FESEM images show the dense and uniform surface morphology of all thin films. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) confirms the uniform distribution of copper dopant and variation in doping percentage in the Cu-doped ZnO films. The PL spectra of Cu-doped ZnO film have strong violet emission which shows a variation in zinc vacancy (VZn) defect density levels. UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy has confirmed a slight increase in optical band gap by copper doping. The refractive index, roughness, and film thickness have been calculated using spectroscopic ellipsometry and found to increase with Cu doping concentration.

Investigation of a memory effect in a Au/(Ti-Cu)Ox-gradient thin film/TiAlV structure.

This paper presents the results of the analysis of resistive switching properties observed in a Au/(Ti–Cu)Ox/TiAlV structure with a gradient distribution of Cu and Ti along the (Ti–Cu)Ox thin film thickness. Thin films were prepared via multisource reactive magnetron co-sputtering. The programmed profile of the pulse width modulation coefficient during sputtering of the Cu target allowed us to obtain the designed gradient U-shape profile of the Cu concentration in the deposited thin film. Electrical measurements of the Au/(Ti–Cu)Ox/TiAlV structure showed the presence of nonpinched hysteresis loops in the voltage–current plane testifying a resistive switching behavior. Results of optical, X-ray, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy measurements allowed us to elaborate the scheme of the bandgap alignment of the prepared thin films with respect to the Au and TiAlV electrical contacts. Detailed structure and elemental profile investigations allowed us to conclude about the possible mechanism for the observed resistive switching mechanism.

Microstructure, Mechanical, and Nanotribological Properties of Ni, Ni-TiN, and Ni90Cu10-TiN Films Processed by Reactive Magnetron Cosputtering

In this study, nanocrystalline Ni, Ni-TiN, and Ni90Cu10-TiN coatings were processed using reactive magnetron cosputtering of Ni, Cu, and Ti targets under Ar and N2 gas environment. The phase evolution and structure of coatings were analyzed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The morphology of the as-prepared nanocomposite films were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The elastic modulus, nanohardness, and scratch resistance of the investigated films were measured using the nanoindentation technique and compared. The results showed that Ni, Ni-TiN and Ni90Cu10-TiN coatings exhibited nanocrystalline structure. The Ni90Cu10-TiN nanocomposite films showed optimum nanohardness and tribological properties due to the additional TiN additives which enhanced the dispersion hardening of the composite matrix significantly.

Performance of in situ oxidized platinum/iridium alloy Schottky contacts on (001), (2¯01), and (010) β -Ga2O3

The performance of β-Ga2O3 Schottky contacts (SCs) fabricated using amorphous, intentionally oxidized platinum–iridium alloys was investigated as a function of alloy composition and β-Ga2O3 crystal orientation. PtyIr(1−y)Ox SCs with Pt fractions of y = 0.8, 0.5, and 0.3 were deposited on (001), (2¯01), and (010) single-crystal β-Ga2O3 substrates via the reactive rf and dc co-sputtering of Pt and Ir targets using oxygen–argon plasmas. In each case, the PtyIr(1−y)Ox SCs were highly rectifying with current rectification ratios (at ±3 V) of 11/10/9 orders of magnitude (at 300 K) for the (001)/(2¯01)/(010) β-Ga2O3 substrates. Current–voltage (I–V) and capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements revealed that the Pt0.5Ir0.5Ox SCs contained the highest Schottky barriers on all β-Ga2O3 crystal faces, with the best contacts having ideality factors of 1.05 and image-force-corrected I–V and C–V determined barrier heights of 2.10 and 2.20 eV, respectively. These were consistently higher by ∼0.2 eV than the corresponding barriers for the Pt0.8Ir0.2Ox and Pt0.3Ir0.7Ox SCs, with the Pt0.5Ir0.5Ox SCs also having significantly lower reverse leakage currents (in the 0 to −100 V range). In comparison, the barrier heights of the best unoxidized plain-metal Pt0.5Ir0.5 SCs were only ∼1.2 eV, illustrating the effectiveness of in situ oxidation in improving the performance of PtIr SCs. All PtyIr(1−y)Ox SCs on (2¯01) β-Ga2O3 showed excellent high-temperature performance with rectification ratios (at ±3 V) of 109 at 300 °C and of 106 at 500 °C.

Enhancement in the sensitivity and selectivity of Cu functionalized MoS2 nanoworm thin films for nitrogen dioxide gas sensor

In this work, we report the controlled synthesis of Cu functionalized MoS2 nanoworm thin films based NO2 sensors using a reactive co-sputtering technique. Structural and surface morphological properties were studied using XRD and FESEM analysis, respectively. The surface chemistry and defects study of as-prepared samples were carried out using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra, respectively. In addition, further insights into the absorbance and band gap studies were gained using UV-Visible spectroscopy. The sensing performance of pure MoS2 and Cu-MoS2 thin films was studied towards nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas concentrations (2-200 ppm) at the optimum working temperature of 100°C. The Cu-MoS2 sensor provides a high sensing response as compared to the pure MoS2 thin-film sensor towards 20 ppm of NO2 gas with a fast response and recovery time. The Cu-MoS2 thin-film sensor is highly sensitive, stable, and selective towards NO2 against NH3, CO, and H2 gases. The developed 2D MoS2 thin-film-based sensor chip, due to its remarkable performance, might be used for low (2 ppm) detection of NO2 under a low working temperature regime.

Reactive grid-assisted co-sputtering of titanium and chromium in a pure nitrogen atmosphere: Uniformity, optics, and structure of the Ti–Cr–N films

This study provides the results of the first attempt to deposit thin films by reactive grid-assisted co-sputtering with the deployment of small grounded grids having two varying apertures for enabling the transfer of particles. The diameter of all the grids utilized was 50 mm, and their apertures' diameters were changed from 5 mm to 15 mm. Furthermore, the ratios of the grid area to the chamber wall area were lower than 0.0161, preventing the formation of ion-rich sheaths and their adverse impact upon discharge and plasma stability. Accordingly, Ti 1 Cr 1-x N films (0.88 < x < 0.97) with low chromium contents were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates by using pure nitrogen as the sputtering gas. The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction patterns of the films, the average thicknesses of which were lower than 50 nm, showed no sign of crystallinity in the films. Ranging from 3.26 to 3.79 eV, the optical bandgap of the films changed by altering the apertures’ size; chromium content, internal stress, and quantum confinement effect appeared to be the main contributing factors. The photoluminescence intensities appertaining to trap state emissions reflected a decreasing trend by increasing the chromium content, which can be ascribed to the capability of the chromium particles included in the surface, structure, and grain boundaries of the films to prevent photoinduced electron-hole pairs from recombination. It was found that not only is the grid-assisted co-sputtering method an effective tool whereby the doping range of conventional co-sputtering methods can be significantly extended but also it can cover a spectrum of surface morphologies. However, in comparison with the conventional co-sputtering method, the utilization of the grids with fairly small apertures can limit the thickness uniformity of the films; this effect may be attenuated by changing the geometry and design of grids.

Mobility Enhancement in P-Type SnO Thin-Film Transistors via Ni Incorporation by Co-Sputtering

Oxide semiconductors have been considered one of the most promising candidates for flexible electronics applications owing to their low process temperatures and good reliability. However, the low mobility of p-type oxide semiconductors limits the performance of flexible oxide-TFT-based CMOS technology. In this study, p-type SnO_<i>x</i>:Ni thin films were deposited by reactive rf magnetron co-sputtering, a technique compatible with the current industrial semiconductor manufacturing technology, from Sn and Ni targets. As the Ni-gun power increased, the distribution of Ni in the SnO_<i>x</i>:Ni thin film changed from a more uniform dispersion to nanoclusters, resulting in the crystalline phase transition of SnO_<i>x</i>:Ni from <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-SnO (110)-dominant polycrystalline to amorphous and then to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-SnO (101)-dominant polycrystalline. A high-mobility inverted-staggered p-type SnO_<i>x</i>:Ni TFT was then fabricated on a glass substrate with a maximum process temperature of 225&#x00B0;C, which is compatible with flexible polymeric substrates. The TFT fabricated at an optimal Ni-gun power of 42 W exhibited an impressive field-effect mobility of 11 cm²V^&#x2212;1s^&#x2212;1 and on current of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$35.2 ~\mu \text{A}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> per channel width-to-length ratio; these values are comparable to those of a typical n-type oxide TFT. These results should contribute toward flexible oxide-TFT-based CMOS technology.

Phase evolution in annealed Ni-doped WO3 nanorod films prepared via a glancing angle deposition technique for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

Ni-doped WO3 nanorod films were fabricated via a reactive magnetron cosputtering with a glancing angle deposition technique. The crystal structure and surface morphology were observed using grazing incident X-ray diffraction and field emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, respectively. The chemical compositions and oxidation state of each element were investigated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The local structure and phase evolution were investigated via X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The local structure of Ni atoms in WO3 nanorod films is characterized as a NiWO4 nanocluster in the WO3 matrix, which is supported by calculated spectra. The phase information obtained after annealing demonstrates that short-length order in amorphous transitions to crystallinity. The phase information of the local structures were acquired and discussed as well as the effect on the annealing process. The coupling of amorphous WO3, crystalline WO3, and amorphous NiWO4 exhibits high photoelectrochemical activity of the sample annealed at 400 °C, which was observed with a large current density (2.35 μA/cm2) at 1.20 V vs. Ag/AgCl under visible light irradiation, which is greater than that of the unmodified WO3 photoelectrode (1.38 μA/cm2).

Optical and magnetic properties of cobalt doped TiN thin films grown by RF/DC magnetron sputtering

Here we report the study of cobalt doped titanium nitride thin films grown by reactive co-sputtering of cobalt and titanium targets in the presence of argon and nitrogen gases. Thin films were grown with different cobalt concentrations and analyzed by atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray reflectometry and vibrating sample magnetometry. We have found that the films readily oxidize after exposure to the atmosphere and form a cobalt doped titanium oxynitride. The variable cobalt concentration in the films affects the optical, chemical and magnetic properties. The bandgap of the films generally becomes narrower at higher cobalt concentrations. Cobalt is found to be in a mixture of the high spin + 2 and low spin + 3 oxidation states. At the lower cobalt concentrations, the magnetization is low and it is temperature-independent. Whereas at higher cobalt concentrations, the magnetic response becomes temperature-dependent with a mix of paramagnetism and superparamagnetism at 3–5 K.

Reactive phosphine combinatorial co-sputtering of cation disordered ZnGeP2 films

High-throughput synthesis and characterization methods were used to investigate ZnGeP2 thin films.

Durability-enhanced monolithic inorganic electrochromic devices with tantalum-doped nickel oxide as a counter electrode

Nickel oxide (NiO) is a well-known electrochromic (EC) material with anodic coloration. However, NiO degrades significantly upon cycling with Li + /H + -conducting electrolytes. Doping with various additives is the most effective method to enhance the cycling stability of NiO films. In this study, films of tantalum-doped nickel oxide, denoted as Ni 1- x Ta x oxide, were deposited onto indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering from Ni and Ta metal targets for use as counter electrodes in monolithic inorganic EC devices (ECDs). The influence of the Ta content on the composition, structure, optical properties and EC properties of NiO was investigated. It was found that the microstructure of the Ni 1- x Ta x oxide films was closely related to the EC performance and cycling stability. With moderate optical modulation, the cycling stability and optical transmittance of the Ni 1- x Ta x oxide film with x = 0.274 were increased. All-solid-state inorganic ECDs were fabricated with the configuration ITO/WO 3 /Ta 2 O 5 /Ni 1- x Ta x oxide/ITO/glass. The full ECDs showed different EC behaviors compared to those of the Ni 1- x Ta x oxide single layers, which was attributed to the different counter electrode/ion conductor interfaces of the solid–solid and solid–liquid interfaces, respectively. The ECD fabricated with the Ni 1- x Ta x oxide film with x = 0.065 showed stable transmittance modulation up to 1000 cycles. We propose a degradation mechanism for monolithic all-solid-state inorganic ECDs based on the observed degradation in the EC performance, which can pave the way for highly durable ECDs for various optoelectronic devices. • Ta-doped Ni oxides were prepared by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering with Ta content between 0.065 and 0.490. • A Ta content of 0.274 led to the most stable cycling stability with moderate optical modulation. • Ni 1- x Ta x oxide with x = 0.065 is an excellent electrochromic material for highly reliable electrochromic devices.

Tantalum-Titanium Oxynitride Thin Films Deposited by DC Reactive Magnetron Co-Sputtering: Mechanical, Optical, and Electrical Characterization

The possibility to tune the elemental composition and structure of binary Me oxynitride-type compounds (Me1Me2ON) could lead to attractive properties for several applications. For this work, tantalum-titanium oxynitride (TaTiON) thin films were deposited by DC reactive magnetron co-sputtering, with a –50 V bias voltage applied to the substrate holder and a constant substrate temperature of 100 °C. To increase or to decrease in a controlled manner, the Ti and Ta content in the co-sputtered films, the Ti and Ta target currents were varied between 0.00 and 1.00 A, in 0.25 A steps, while keeping the sum of the currents applied to the two targets at 1.00 A. The reactive gases flow, consisting of a nitrogen and oxygen gas mixture with a constant N2/O2 ratio (85%/15%), was also kept constant. The single-metal oxynitrides (TaON and TiON) showed a low degree of crystallinity, while all the other co-sputtered films revealed themselves to be essentially amorphous. These two films also exhibited higher adhesion to the metallic substrate. The TaON film showed the highest hardness value (14.8 GPa) and the TiON film a much lower one (8.8 GPa), while the co-sputtered coatings exhibited intermediary values. One of the most interesting findings was the significant increase in the O content when the Ti concentration surpassed the Ta one. This significantly influenced the optical characteristic of the films, but also their electrical properties. The sheet resistivity of the co-sputtered films is strongly dependent on the O/(Ta + Ti) atomic ratio.

Fabrication of an acetone gas sensor based on Si-doped WO3 nanorods prepared by reactive magnetron co-sputtering with OAD technique

Gas sensing technology is currently applied in a variety of applications. In medical applications, gas sensors can be used for the detection of the biomarker in various diseases, metabolic disorders, diabetes mellitus, asthma, renal, liver diseases, and lung cancer. In this study, we present acetone sensing characteristics of Si-doped WO3 nanorods prepared by a DC reactive magnetron co-sputtering with an oblique-angle deposition (OAD) technique. The composition of Si-doped in WO3 has been studied by varying the electrical input power applied to the Si sputtered target. The nanorods film was constructed at the glancing angle of 85°. After deposition, the films were annealed at 400 °C for 4 h in the air. The microstructures and phases of the materials were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The results showed that 1.43 wt% Si-doped WO3 thin film exhibited the maximum response of 5.92 towards 100 ppm of acetone at performing temperature (350 °C), purifying dry air carrier. The process exposed in this work demonstrated the potential of high sensitivity acetone gas sensor at low concentration and may be used as an effective tool for diabetes non-invasive monitoring.

Effect of Zr content on the structure and morphology of CrZrN thin films prepared by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering method

In this research, nanostructured chromium zirconium nitride (CrZrN) thin film has been deposited on Si(100) substrates by reactive DC magnetron co-sputtering method without in situ substrate heating and post-deposition annealing. The effects of Zr content on thin film structure and morphology were investigated. The Zr content in the films were varied by applied the sputtering current of Zr target (Izr) in the range of 300 to 900 mA, whereas the current of Cr target was kept at 300 mA. The crystal structure, microstructure, morphology, thickness, and chemical composition were characterized by glancing angle X-ray diffraction (GA-XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques, respectively. The results showed that the increase of Izr not only increased the deposition rate, but also increased the Zr content of the as-deposited film ranging from 3.9 to 26.5 at%. The as-deposited thin films were formed as a (Cr,Zr)N solid solution, with fcc structure in (111) and (200) plane, where Cr atoms were replaced by Zr atoms in the CrN lattice. The 2θ diffraction peaks were shifted to the lower value as increase of Zr content which was obtained by increased Izr. The nanocrystalline CrZrN structure with crystal sizes smaller than 10 nm structure were calculated for as-deposited thin films. The lattice parameters increased from 4.187 to 4.381 Å, whereas the crystal size decreased from 8.3 to 6.4 nm. The FE-SEM images of all the CrZrN films exhibited compact columnar with dense morphology as a function of Zr content. Moreover, the thickness of the CrZrN thin films was increased of 302 – 421 nm.

Performance of reactively co-sputtered titanium chromium nitride films in artificial saliva: Corrosion protection and reduction in the release of potentially toxic elements

Having been deposited on 304 stainless steel (SS304) substrates by RF reactive co-sputtering, 1 μm-thick Ti-Cr-N films were annealed at 400 °C and 700 °C. Accordingly, nitride phases of TiN and CrN, and as a result of the lost capability as an oxygen diffusion barrier, oxide phases of Fe2O3, Cr2O3, and TiO2 formed after the annealing process at 700 °C. For short-term immersion (1 h), the corrosion testing illustrated that the film annealed at 400 °C shows greater corrosion resistance than the other films and SS304. For long-term immersion (30 days), all the films demonstrated greater corrosion resistance than SS304, with the as-deposited film delivering the best performance. It was found that protective passivation layer formation, porosity closures, and surface characteristics such as pits, trenches, grooves, cracks, and protuberances govern the corrosion behavior differences. The surface micrographs imply that pitting corrosion and superficial filiform corrosion are among the underlying mechanisms affecting the surfaces. Finally, given the concerns about the capability of SS304 to release toxic elements such as chromium, it was determined that not only can Ti-Cr-N films increase the corrosion resistance of SS304 but also they can reduce the release of chromium by almost 67% in the long-term exposure.

Fabrication of AlGaN High Frequency Bulk Acoustic Resonator by Reactive RF Magnetron Co-sputtering System.

In this study, aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) thin films are used as the piezoelectric layers to fabricate solidly mounted resonators (SMR) for high frequency acoustic wave devices. AlGaN film is deposited on a Bragg reflector, composed of three pairs of Mo and SiO2 films, through a reactive radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering system at room temperature. The optimized deposition parameters of AlGaN film have a sputtering power of 175 W for Al target, sputtering power of 25 W for GaN target, N2 flow ratio (N2/Ar + N2) of 60%, and sputtering pressure of 10 mTorr. The obtained AlGaN film has a smooth surface, uniform crystal grains, and strong c-axis orientation. The contents of Al and Ga in the AlGaN film, analyzed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) are 81% and 19%, respectively. Finally, the frequency response s11 of the obtained SMR device shows that the center frequency is 3.60 GHz, the return loss is about −8.62 dB, the electromechanical coupling coefficient (kt2) is 2.33%, the quality factor (Q) value is 96.93 and the figure of merit (FoM) value is 2.26.

Growth and characterization of NiWO nanorod films prepared by reactive magnetron co-sputtering with oblique angle deposition

In this work, the reactive magnetron co-sputtering with oblique angle deposition (OAD) was used for preparing NiWO nanorod films. The influence of the sputtering power of Ni target on the microstructural, morphology, and chemical composition of the NiWO nanorod films were investigated. The grazing incident X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) pattern indicated that all prepared nanorod films show amorphous. From the field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), the prepared films are in the shape of the slant nanorods with well-separated nanocomlumnar. The effect of Ni-sputtering power on the diameter, length, and tilt angle of the prepared nanorods was discussed based on the shadowing effect and adatom energy. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) shows that the surface roughness increased with increasing the Ni-sputtering power. In addition, the chemical state and composition of Ni, W, and O were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and discussed in this paper.