Scaling behavior of internal stress in electrodeposited nickel thin films

We have investigated the effects of the current density, film thickness, temperature, and additive agent on the internal stress in electrodeposited nickel thin films using a bent strip measurement. The internal stress is found to obey a scaling law expressed in terms of the current density and film thickness. The additive agent is shown to behave as a noise leading to different exponents in the dynamic scaling theory. In addition, the Arrhenius temperature dependence of the internal stress indicates the presence of thermal activation related to grain growth. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3009336]