GROWTH-KINETICS OF RF-SPUTTERED NICKEL FILMS IN THE BEGINNING STAGES

By the analysis of X-ray reflectivity angle dependence the existence o f a characteristic nucleus height h in the island stage of nickel grow th have been found. As the condensation time tau rises, the value of h increases according to a linear law, and the portion of substrate sur face occupied by nuclei is described by a curve with saturation. The f ormation latent period of the fraction with preferential size h is ext remely small, that, in principle, allows to produce smooth surfaces, e ven if the effective thickness is only about several atomic layers. Th e kinetic characteristics are identical both at growing on monocrystal line silicon and amorphous SiO(x) substrates.