Thickness Optimization of Ultra-thin Nickel Films
Abstract
Ultrathin nickel films with thicknesses varying from 2-7nm in 1nm increments were produced using electron-beam physical vapor deposition. Optical transmittance spectra were obtained using ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and resistivities were obtained by measuring sheet resistance using a four-point probe setup. The Haacke's figure of merit was used to determine the optimal thickness of 3nm for those films produced, and a relative slope method was used along with fits to obtained data to determine a more precise optimum of 3.3nm. Differences in transmittance and resistivity from other sources were attributed to the lesser degree of compacting in the deposition method used when compared to dc sputtering. The results show that nickel thin films can be optimized by thickness to produce transparent conductive electrodes for optoelectronic applications.References
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