Physical and electrical characteristics of NiFe thin films using ultrasonic assisted pulse electrodeposition

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 360; pp. 519 - 524
• Main Authors: Asa Deepthi, K., Balachandran, R., Ong, B.H., Tan, K.B., Wong, H.Y., Yow, H.K., Srimala, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-01-2016
• Subjects: Copper; Deposition; Electrical characteristics; Ferrous alloys; Intermetallics; Iron compounds; Nickel base alloys; Nickel compounds; NiFe/Cu thin films; Pulse electrodeposition; Surface morphology; Surface roughness; Thin films; Electrical characteristics; NiFe/Cu thin films; Surface morphology; Pulse electrodeposition
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.10.181

•Nickel iron coated copper thin films were prepared using pulse electrodeposition under an ultrasonic field.•Careful investigation was performed on the effect of different current magnitudes, deposition times and ultrasonic bath temperatures on the NiFe films.•The effect of the preparation conditions on surface morphology, surface roughness and electrical resistivity of the NiFe thin films were examined.•NiFe/Cu thin films with significant reduction in grain size, surface roughness and electrical resistivity were achieved.
Nickel iron (NiFe) thin films were prepared on the copper substrate by ultrasonic assisted pulse electrodeposition under galvanostatic mode. Careful control of the thin films deposition is essential as the electrical properties of the films could be greatly affected, particularly if low quality films are produced. The preparation of NiFe/Cu thin films was aimed to reduce the grain size of NiFe particles, surface roughness and electrical resistivity of the copper substrates. Various parameters were systematically studied including current magnitude, deposition time and ultrasonic bath temperature. The optimized conditions to obtain NiFe permalloy, which subsequently applied to all investigated samples, were found at a current magnitude of 70mA deposited for a duration of 2min under ultrasonic bath temperature of 27°C. The composition of NiFe permalloy was as close as Ni 80.71% and Fe 19.29% and the surface roughness was reduced from 12.76nm to 2.25nm. The films electrical resistivity was decreased nearly sevenfold from an initial value of 67.32μΩcm to 9.46μΩcm.