Formation Conditions and Surface Topography of Nickel Nanofilms on Copper

The purpose. The aim of this work is to develop a technique for obtaining uniform nickel films of nanometer thickness on a metal surface. Electrochemical films of nickel on copper were chosen as the object of research. The article describes a technique for determining the topography of electrochemical nickel films of nanometer thickness (40-60 nm) applied to a conductive substrate with low roughness.

Methods. A study of the roughness of the Cu substrate of the Ni film was carried out using metallographic and probe microscopes. To obtain electrochemical nickel films, a Watts solution and an installation for the production of electrochemical films by the drop method were used; To minimize the roughness of the nickel surface, we used a low current mode with an electrolysis time of 2–10 min on a copper and aluminum foil substrate. For the theoretical substantiation of the technique, an electrodynamic boundary value problem is constructed, solved by the Fourier method. 

Results. Mathematical and computer models of the distribution of the normal component of the current density at the electrolyte-metal interface have been constructed. Using the method of force tunneling microscopy, the roughness of the obtained nickel nanofilms on copper was determined. To obtain homogeneous magnetic films with a thickness of about 50 nm, the necessity of high-quality preliminary polishing of the substrate surface is shown. The conditions for the formation of a solid film of nanometer thickness are considered, and the properties of nickel magnetic films on copper are obtained. The binding energies of dimers were calculated by the methods of quantum chemistry NDDO PM3 and ab initio (HF) to assess the reactivity and the possibility of interaction of nickel atoms with surface aluminum and copper atoms. 

Conclusion. The parameters of the nickel surface roughness, which affect the operational properties of the devices, have been determined. It is shown that the formation of a nickel film on the copper surface is possible for Ni thicknesses exceeding the average substrate roughness.

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