Abstract
In this paper, Ni-Cu NPs @ a-C:H thin films with different content of cooper by co-deposition of RF-sputtering and RF-plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF-PECVD) were prepared from acetylene gas and Ni and Cu targets. The prepared samples as catalysts for growing multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used from liquid petroleum gas (LPG) by thermal chemical vapor deposition (TCVD) at 825 °C. The films deposited with 5% Cu have minimum value the average diameter of CNTs and were about 100 nm. The fractal dimensions and structural characteristics as well as optical density of Ni-Cu NPs thin films have been investigated. AFM images can estimate the lateral size of the nanoparticles on the films surface. These values for Ni NPs without Cu NPs @ a-C:H thin film and with Cu NPs thin film contenting 5%, 40%, 75% Cu are obtained about 7.2, 5.34, 6.04 and 11.16 nm respectively. The optical density (Dopt) of thin films was obtained from the relation Dopt =
\alpha
t. Films deposited with 75% Cu have maximum value of optical density specially in high energy. The spectral density power of all layers reflects the reverse flow changes,, especially in the high spatial frequency region, indicating the presence of fractal components in prominent topographies. Films deposited with 75% Cu have minimum value of fractal dimension. The diagram of the Bearing Area proportion the height shows the percentage of cavities and single-layers. It can be seen that the single-layer content of all films were about 95%.