Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Technology, Electrochemistry, Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering, Materials Science, Coatings & Films, Physics, Condensed Matter, Materials Science, Physics, electrodeposition, electroplating, copper alloy, silver, palladium, photoelectron spectroscopy, surface segregation, CU, ELECTROMIGRATION

Abstract:

In this paper we present results of a study of preparation of copper alloys using electrodeposition technique, and characterization of Cu alloy thin film. The effect of solute concentration and current density on the composition of the copper alloy films, their resistivity, and surface roughness is presented. In the case of Cu-Ag alloy, the results from X-ray photoemission spectroscopy indicate that the concentration of Ag at the surface is similar regardless of the current density applied in the range of 10-30 mA/cm2. On the contrary, the Ag concentration substantially decreases at higher current densities. Ag atoms diffuse towards the surface during annealing resulting in surface segregation. For Cu-Pd alloy, it appears that the current density between 15 and 62.5 mA/cm2 does not affect the Pd concentration in the alloy. The concentration of Pd in the Cu layer is in the same order of magnitude as that of Ag in the CuAg layer. The resistivity of the alloy film increases slightly for Cu-Ag, and substantially for CuPd. Relatively high surface roughness and large gram size have been observed for annealed pure copper and Cu-Ag.