Fabrication of Cu coatings by ultrasound-assisted supercritical argon electroplating

Abstract

This work reports a novel ultrasound-assisted supercritical argon electroplating process (US-SC-Ar) with no additives to produce copper metal coatings. Introduction of ultrasound accelerates metal ion mobility, yielding densely-packed structures with finer grains and better aesthetic finish. Temperature of 35 °C, pressure of 2500 psi, current density of 5 A/dm2, and acoustic power density of 0.094 W/cm3, produced coatings with enhanced mechanical and corrosion behavior compared to those produced by conventional or silent SC-Ar processes.