The effect of deposition parameters such as substrate temperature and argon pressure on the structure of continuous CrNi(65:35), CrNi(50:50) and CrNi(20:80) thin films r.f. sputtered onto air-cleaved and electrically coloured alkali halide substrates are investigated by transmission electron diffraction. The observed phases are: nanocrystalline phases belonging to the equilibrium solid state solutions [γ-Ni(fcc) and α-Cr(bcc)] and CrO (NaCl-type) oxide; single icosahedral amorphous phase; amorphous separated phases, the icosahedral amorphous phase corresponding to CrNi and the other to CrO (NaCl-type) oxide; an icosahedral amorphous phase with α-Cr (bcc) solid-solution nanocrystals; nanocrystalline phases belonging to γ-Ni(fcc) solid solution and the CrO (NaCl-type) oxide; nanocrystalline phases belonging to [γ-Ni(fcc) and α-Cr(bcc)] solid solutions and the CrO (NaCl-type) oxide; microcrystalline phases belonging to [γ-Ni(fcc) and α-Cr(bcc)] solid solutions and CrO (NaCl-type) oxide. Thermodynamic and kinetic arguments are put forward in order to explain the complex dependences in the growth of various phases and their relation to the equilibrium phase diagram of the bulk Cr-Ni system.