Formation of textured Ni(200) and Ni(111) films by magnetron sputtering

The effect of the working gas pressure (P ≈ 1.33–0.09 Pa) and the substrate temperature (T_s ≈ 77–550 K) on the texture and the microstructure of nickel films deposited by magnetron sputtering onto SiO₂/Si substrates is studied. Ni(200) films with a transition type of microstructure are shown to form at growth parameters P ≈ 0.13–0.09 Pa and T_s ≈ 300–550 K, which ensure a high migration ability of nickel adatoms on a substrate. This transition type is characterized by a change of the film structure from quasi-homogeneous to quasi-columnar when a film reaches a critical thickness. Ni(111) films with a columnar microstructure and high porosity form at a low migration ability, which takes place at P ≈ 1.33–0.3 Pa or upon cooling a substrate to T_s ≈ 77 K.