Epitaxial electrodeposition of freestanding large area single crystal substrates

The authors report on a method for producing freestanding single crystal metal films over large areas using electrodeposition and selective etching. The method can be turned into an inexpensive continuous process for making long ribbons or a large area of single crystal films. Results from a 5x5 mm2 Ni single crystal film using electron backscattering pattern pole figures and x-ray diffraction demonstrate that the quality of material produced is equivalent to the initial substrate without annealing or polishing