The oxidation kinetics of thin nickel films between 250 and 500 °C

The oxidation kinetics of thin polycrystalline Ni films is of fundamental interest as well as being relevant for potential applications. It was investigated between 250 and 500 °C for 10-150 nm thick films. Even for the thinnest films, oxidation was found to be diffusion controlled. The high density of grain boundaries in the formed NiO layer leads to a tracer diffusion coefficient that is higher than reported in the literature, indicating accelerated Ni diffusion along the grain boundaries. Cr segregation to the bottom interface in doped-NiO films hindered the acceleration of the oxidation of thin films.