Stable transparent Ni electrodes

We have deposited ultrathin (<10 nm) Ni films (UTMFs) on a dielectric substrate with high uniformity and investigated their stability, i.e. how their optical and electrical properties are affected by oxidation. We show that the oxidation process can be exploited to achieve stable films: an appropriate temperature cycle in the presence of oxygen produces a protective oxide layer on top of the metallic film which prevents further oxidation. The achieved stability, combined with large optical transmission and electrical conductivity, makes UTMFs high quality transparent electrodes for the optoelectronics industry, seriously competing with widely used transparent conductive oxides.