Growth and Characterization of Electroplated NiO Coatings

Thin films of NiO have been prepared using potentiostatic electrodeposition technique from an aqueous electrolytic bath containing NiSO4. Deposited films have been characterized using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive analysis by x-rays. X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the prepared films possess polycrystalline nature with face centered cubic structure. Surface morphology and film composition showed that films with better stoichiometry and smooth surface are obtained at optimized growth condition. Optical absorption analysis showed that the prepared films possess direct band gap value around 3.46 eV