In magnetron sputtering you can use any kind of material if you use DC mode. If you are using RF mode then ceramic substrates are favorable

Dear Muhammad Zubair,

You can have a look on this paper:

Local heteroepitaxial growth to promote the selective growth orientation, crystallization and interband transition of sputtered NiO thin films

DOI: 10.1039/C5CE02419F

I think that you will fin what you want.

Regards,

Emile HAYE

try MgO (100) for (100) orientation and Al2O3 (0002) for (111) orientation... this works for nickel and I am sure same will work for NiO also ...