Growth kinetics of RF-sputtered nickel films in the beginning stages

By the analysis of X-ray reflectivity angle dependence the existence of a characteristic nucleus height h in the island stage of nickel growth have been found. As the condensation time τ rises, the value of h increases according to a linear law, and the portion of substrate surface occupied by nuclei is described by a curve with saturation. The formation latent period of the fraction with preferential size h is extremely small, that, in principle, allows to produce smooth surfaces, even if the effective thickness is only about several atomic layers. The kinetic characteristics are identical both at growing on monocrystalline silicon and amorphous SiO x substrates