Electrodeposition of Silver-Nickel Thin Films with a Galvanostatic Method

Abstract

NiAg thin films were deposited by galvanostatic electrodeposition in an electrolyte containing NiSO4 AgNO3 and C6H5Na3O7 The variation of composition and crystallography of electrodeposited NiAg thin films with current density and electrolyte concentration was investigated At a low current density electrodeposition of silver was dominant which could be induced by a comparably low reduction potential However nickel electrodeposition became the dominant component at a higher current density because of the mass transfer limitation of Ag ions When 50 mA/cm(2) was applied the FCC (200) phase was observed which implies significant enhancement of the nucleation rate by increasing the reduction potential at a high current density condition [doi 10 2320/matertrans M2010126].