Morphology and structure of bright electrodeposited metal coatings

Abstract

The properties which determine whether the metal surface is mirror bright are precisely determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic forces microscopy (AFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and reflectance spectrophotometry investigations. Mirror brightness of metal surfaces can be associated with the high degree of mirror reflection which approaches very nearly the ideal reflectance of the same metal with the lowest degree of diffuse reflection. Mirror brightness of the copper coatings and the copper surfaces polished both mechanically and electrochemically was determined by flat and mutually parallel parts of the surface, which are smooth on the atomic level and which point out towards layer structure of these surfaces. Mirror bright metal surfaces can be obtained only by electrochemical polishing or electrochemical deposition in the presence of brightening addition agents.

Keywords

• bright coatings
• electrodeposition
• structure
• sem
• stm and afm techniques