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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
Thin films of nickel deposited on various substrates have been investigated by using an STM. Topographic data recorded at different stages of the film growth reveal that the surface structure at one location of the film resemble that at another location of the same film. The repetitive structures are made up of a few coalescing clusters and forming exactly similar looking islands. As the film thickness increases, the shape and size of these repetitive patterns changes but the self-affinity of the surface structure is maintained.