University of Leicester
Browse

Real-time in situ dynamic sub-surface imaging of multi-component electrodeposited films using event mode neutron reflectivity

Download (849.1 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2018-08-15, 13:20 authored by A. Robert Hillman, Robert Barker, Robert M. Dalgliesh, Virginia C. Ferreira, Emma J. R. Palin, Rachel M. Sapstead, Emma L. Smith, Nina-Juliane Steinke, Karl S. Ryder, Andrew D. Ballantyne
Exquisite control of the electrodeposition of metal films and coatings is critical to a number of high technology and manufacturing industries, delivering functionality as diverse as anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings, electronic device interconnects and energy storage. The frequent involvement of more than one metal motivates the capability to control, maintain and monitor spatial disposition of the component metals, whether as multilayers, alloys or composites. Here we investigate the deposition, evolution and dissolution of single and two-component metal layers involving Ag, Cu, and Sn on Au substrates immersed in the deep eutectic solvent (DES) Ethaline. During galvanostatically controlled stripping of the metals from two-component systems the potential signature in simultaneous thickness electrochemical potential (STEP) measurements provides identification of the dissolving metal; coulometric assay of deposition efficiency is an additional outcome. When combined with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) frequency responses, the mass change : charge ratio provides oxidation state data; this is significant for Cu in the high chloride environment provided by Ethaline. The spatial distribution (solvent penetration and external roughness) of multiple components in bilayer systems is provided by specular neutron reflectivity (NR). Significantly, the use of the recently established event mode capability shortens the observational timescale of the NR measurements by an order of magnitude, permitting dynamic in situ observations on practically useful timescales. Ag,Cu bilayers of both spatial configurations give identical STEP signatures indicating that, despite the extremely low layer porosity, thermodynamic constraints (rather than spatial accessibility) dictate reactivity; thus, surprisingly, Cu dissolves first in both instances. Sn penetrates the Au electrode on the timescale of deposition; this can be prevented by interposing a layer of either Ag or Cu.

Funding

KSR wishes to thank the European Union for funding under the Framework 7 programme for project ASPIS (Advanced Surface Protection for Improved Reliability PCB Systems Grant agreement no.: 243626). KSR also thanks Innovate UK (Manufacturing Electronic Systems of the Future) for funding under the MACFEST project (Project No: 102020). ERJP thanks the EPSRC and the University of Leicester for a studentship. RMS thanks the University of Leicester for a studentship. VCF thanks FCT for financial support (SFRH/BPD/77404/2011). We thank the ISIS Facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory for provision of instrument time to make the NR measurements.

History

Citation

Faraday Discussions, 2018

Author affiliation

/Organisation/COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING/Department of Chemistry

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Published in

Faraday Discussions

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry

issn

1359-6640

eissn

1364-5498

Acceptance date

2018-04-25

Copyright date

2018

Available date

2019-07-13

Publisher version

http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2018/FD/C8FD00084K#!divAbstract

Notes

The file associated with this record is under embargo until 12 months after publication, in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. The full text may be available through the publisher links provided above.

Language

en

Usage metrics

    University of Leicester Publications

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC