Nickel Oxide, NiO
Nickel oxide (NiO) is a rock-salt-structured p-type transition-metal oxide supplied by Infinita Materials as a high-density ceramic sputtering target for thin-film deposition. It is one of the few simple binary oxides that is simultaneously a wide-bandgap semiconductor, an intrinsic p-type conductor, and a room-temperature antiferromagnet, which is why sputtered NiOx films show up across electrochromic, photovoltaic, sensing, and spintronic device stacks.
| Purity (%) : | >99.9 |
| Dimensions : | Dia. 1”, Thick. 0.125” Dia. 2”, Thick. 0.25” |
Introduction to Nickel Oxide
Nickel Oxide NiO crystallises in the cubic rock-salt structure (Fm-3m) and is a wide-bandgap Mott/charge-transfer insulator. Slight nickel deficiency introduces Ni vacancies and Ni³⁺ acceptor states, giving NiO its characteristic p-type conductivity. Below its Néel temperature of approximately 523 K, NiO exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering, making its combination of optical, electrical, and magnetic properties particularly valuable. RF magnetron sputtering from ceramic NiO targets, or reactive sputtering from metallic Ni, enables precise control of oxygen stoichiometry, microstructure, and film resistivity. Sputtered NiO films are widely used as p-type layers in electrochromic smart windows, hole-transport layers in photovoltaics, transparent p–n oxide electronics, and antiferromagnetic exchange-bias layers for spintronic and magnetic-sensor devices.
FAQs
Question: What is nickel oxide used for?
Answer: Nickel oxide powders are an electrolyte in nickel-plating solutions and an oxygen donor in auto-emission catalysts. They can also anodize aluminum, conductive nickel zinc ferrites, glass frit for porcelain enamel, thermistors, cermet, and resistance heating elements.
Question: What is nickel mainly used for?
Answer: Nickel resists corrosion and protects other metals through plating. Manufacturers mainly use it to make alloys like stainless steel. Nichrome, a nickel-chromium alloy, contains trace amounts of silicon, manganese, and iron.
Question: What are the applications of nickel oxide nanoparticles?
Answer: NiO nanoparticles are used in various applications, including battery electrodes, photo-electron devices, ion storage materials, gas sensors, magnetic materials, thermoelectric materials, catalysts, fuel cells, dye-sensitized photocathodes, and electrochromic films.
Question: What are the hazards of nickel oxide?
Answer: Chronic exposure to this chemical may cause lung and nasal cancer. It may also result in sinus and laryngeal carcinoma. Nickel oxide may be light-sensitive. It should remain thermally stable at temperatures of up to 644°F.
Question: Is nickel oxide acidic or basic?
Answer: Nickel (II) oxide is a chemical compound with the formula NiO, where nickel oxide is the main component. NiO is a necessary metal oxide. NiO's mineralogical form, bunsenite, is intermittent. NiO follows the NaCl structure, having octahedral Ni2+ and O2− sites.
Introduction to Nickel Oxide
Nickel Oxide NiO crystallises in the cubic rock-salt structure (Fm-3m) and is a wide-bandgap Mott/charge-transfer insulator. Slight nickel deficiency introduces Ni vacancies and Ni³⁺ acceptor states, giving NiO its characteristic p-type conductivity. Below its Néel temperature of approximately 523 K, NiO exhibits antiferromagnetic ordering, making its combination of optical, electrical, and magnetic properties particularly valuable. RF magnetron sputtering from ceramic NiO targets, or reactive sputtering from metallic Ni, enables precise control of oxygen stoichiometry, microstructure, and film resistivity. Sputtered NiO films are widely used as p-type layers in electrochromic smart windows, hole-transport layers in photovoltaics, transparent p–n oxide electronics, and antiferromagnetic exchange-bias layers for spintronic and magnetic-sensor devices.
Key Properties of Nickel Oxide
| Property | Value | Significance |
|---|
| Crystal structure | Rock salt (cubic, NaCl-type), space group Fm-3m | Sets epitaxial matching and orientation behaviour when film is grown on lattice-matched substrates such as MgO |
| Band gap | ~3.6-4.0 eV (wide-gap Mott/charge-transfer insulator) | Keeps sputtered films optically transparent in the visible range while still supporting electronic switching |
| Conductivity type | Intrinsic p-type (Ni vacancy / Ni3+ acceptor states) | Basis for hole-transport-layer and p-type transparent conducting oxide applications without extrinsic doping |
| Magnetic ordering | Antiferromagnetic below Neel temperature ~523 K (~250 C); paramagnetic above | Enables use as an exchange-bias pinning layer in spintronic and magnetic-sensor thin-film stacks |
| Melting point | ~1955 C | Defines the upper bound for target sintering/hot-pressing and sets thermal design margins during sputtering |
| Thermal conductivity | ~30 W/m-K at 25 C (bulk single-crystal value; lower in sintered polycrystalline ceramic) | Relatively low value versus metals means bonding and power ramp must be managed to avoid thermal shock cracking |
| Theoretical density | ~6.67 g/cm3 | Sputtered ceramic targets are qualified against this value; higher relative density gives lower particulate generation. |
| Sputtering behavior | Insulating ceramic oxide; RF or pulsed-DC/reactive-DC sputtering typical | Determines chamber and power-supply configuration; indium bonding to a backing plate is commonly used for heat management |
Types & Grades of Nickel Oxide
Nickel Oxide targets are offered in standard catalogue sizes and grades, with custom purity, density, and geometry available for OEM and R&D deposition systems.
| Grade / Form | Typical Purity | Key Features / Uses |
|---|
| Standard catalogue disc (IN-Ni-01 / IN-Ni-02) | >99.9% (3N) | 1in x 0.125in and 2in x 0.25in bonded or unbonded discs for R&D and pilot-line PVD work |
| High-purity electronic grade | 99.99% (4N) | Reduced trace-metal content for hole-transport-layer and transparent-conducting-oxide device films |
| Ultra-high-purity grade | 99.999% (5N), custom order | Minimises impurity-related trap states for spintronic and antiferromagnetic thin-film research |
| Large-format / custom planar | >99.9%, diameters beyond standard catalogue sizes and custom thicknesses | Discs and plates sized, bored, threaded, or bevelled to match specific production sputter tools |
| Bonded and rotary (cylindrical) assemblies | >99.9% – 99.99% | Indium- or elastomer-bonded planar targets on copper backing plates, plus rotary tube targets for high-throughput in-line coaters |
Applications of Nickel Oxide
Sputtered films of Nickel Oxide support demanding roles across research and production applications where this material’s specific structural, electronic, or optical properties are the key requirement.
| Industry | Application | Function |
|---|
| Architectural and automotive glass | Electrochromic smart-window stacks | p-type NiOx counter-electrode layer that balances charge and modulates tint alongside a WO3 working electrode |
| Photovoltaics | Perovskite and thin-film solar cells | Inorganic p-type hole-transport layer that improves stability versus organic HTL materials |
| Display and transparent electronics | p-type transparent conducting oxide layers | Complements n-type oxides such as ITO and AZO to build all-oxide p-n junctions and transparent thin-film transistors |
| Gas and environmental sensing | Chemiresistive thin-film sensors | p-type semiconducting layer sensitive to H2, CO, NOx, and humidity with good chemical stability |
| Spintronics and magnetic data storage | Exchange-bias and pinning layers in spin-valve/MTJ stacks | Antiferromagnetic ordering below ~523 K pins the magnetisation direction of an adjacent ferromagnetic layer |
| Energy storage and catalysis | Battery and supercapacitor electrode coatings, electrocatalytic films | Redox-active NiOx surface used for charge storage and as a catalytic layer in water-splitting electrodes |
Why Partner with Infinita Materials?
- Technical Depth: in-house quality control with ICP-MS and XRF purity verification, density measurement, and full certificates of analysis on every target.
- Global Logistics: reliable supply from single R&D-scale targets to production-line volumes, with established international shipping.
- Responsive Support: direct access to materials engineers for grade, bonding, and geometry selection, and process-compatibility questions.
Take the Next Step
Infinita Materials fabricates Nickel Oxide sputtering targets engineered to the purity, density, and geometry your deposition process requires. Whether the requirement is a standard catalogue target or a custom size, purity, or bonded assembly, our team can help match the right specification to your deposition system. Request a quote or speak with our technical team to discuss your target specification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is nickel oxide used for?
Nickel oxide powders are an electrolyte in nickel-plating solutions and an oxygen donor in auto-emission catalysts. They can also anodize aluminum, conductive nickel zinc ferrites, glass frit for porcelain enamel, thermistors, cermet, and resistance heating elements.
What is nickel mainly used for?
Nickel resists corrosion and protects other metals through plating. Manufacturers mainly use it to make alloys like stainless steel. Nichrome, a nickel-chromium alloy, contains trace amounts of silicon, manganese, and iron.
What are the applications of nickel oxide nanoparticles?
NiO nanoparticles are used in various applications, including battery electrodes, photo-electron devices, ion storage materials, gas sensors, magnetic materials, thermoelectric materials, catalysts, fuel cells, dye-sensitized photocathodes, and electrochromic films.
What are the hazards of nickel oxide?
Chronic exposure to this chemical may cause lung and nasal cancer. It may also result in sinus and laryngeal carcinoma. Nickel oxide may be light-sensitive. It should remain thermally stable at temperatures of up to 644°F.
Is nickel oxide acidic or basic?
Nickel (II) oxide is a chemical compound with the formula NiO, where nickel oxide is the main component. NiO is a necessary metal oxide. NiO's mineralogical form, bunsenite, is intermittent. NiO follows the NaCl structure, having octahedral Ni2+ and O2− sites.
Nickel Oxide, NiO
Used in Various Industries
Biomedical
Energy
Aerospace
Automotive
Healthcare
Electronics
