Electrolysis: processes – compositions used therein – and methods – Electrolytic coating – Utilizing fused bath
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-24
2001-03-13
Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1741)
Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods
Electrolytic coating
Utilizing fused bath
C205S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200453
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an electroplating process for depositing a single crystal metal layer on to a polycrystalline base metal from molten salts electrolyte and to the plated product.
2. Description of Prior Art
The present day electroplating processes deposit either polycrystalline or microcrystalline metal films on polycrystalline base metals.
In these processes, metal atoms produced by the electrochemical reactions during electroplating aggregate into metal clusters on the surface of a base metal, the clusters grow by incorporation of metal atoms into metal crystals, and metal crystals grow by incorporation into metal films.
The processes have two limitations. First, the aggregation or nucleation is rarely sufficient to fully cover the surface of a base metal; and second, the metal crystals that are produced have a tendency to accumulate dislocations or defects. This results in the formation of polycrystalline or microcrystalline metal films. Both these types of films are significantly imperfect.
A polycrystalline film has significant number of grain boundaries, and a microcrystalline film has substantial porosity. This makes them both permeable, and corrosion of base metals proceeds through these pores. Current electroplating processes are unable to avoid grain boundaries and micropores during deposition on polycrystalline base metals and require subsequent annealing.
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention are
(a) to provide an electroplating process which can be used to produce a single crystal metal film of desired thickness over a polycrystalline base metal;
(b) to provide an electroplating process which can be used to control the grain size in a metal film;
(c) to provide an electroplating process which can be used to produce an annealed metal film;
(d) to provide an electroplating process which can be used to produce a nonporous metal film;
(e) to provide an electroplating process which can be used to obtain full coverage of the base metal with submicron sized metal particles;
(f) to provide an electroplating process in which sintering and recrystallization occur in-situ and produces a single crystal metal layer;
Further objects and advantages are that the process may be used to prepare alloys by doping a metal layer or by concurrent deposition. Still other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3859176 (1975-01-01), Shang
patent: 3983012 (1976-09-01), Cohen
patent: 5215631 (1993-06-01), Westfall
R. R. Agarwal, “Electrodeposition of Cadmium Films from a Chloroaluminate Melt”, Presented at Symposium on “Deposition from Nonaqueous Electrolytes”, Electrodeposition Division, Electrochemical Society Meeting, Hollywood, Florida, Oct. 1989.
R. R. Agarwal, “Highly Oriented Versus Mircocrystalline Thick Cadium Films Deposited on Polycrystalline Nickel from a Molten Salts Electrolyte”, Presented at Symposium on Surface Processing in Energy Technology, ECS Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, May 1992.
R. R. Agarwal, “Film Formation of Cadmium on Nickel from Molten AlCl3-NaCl-BaCl2Eutectic”, Presented at Symposium on “Advances in High Temperature Interfacial Chemistry”, Electrochemical Society Meeting (ECS), Toronto, Canada, Oct. 1992.
R. R. Agarwal, “Fundamental Results on Electrodeposition in Molten Salts”, Presented at Symposium on “Electrochemically Deposited Thin Films”, Electrochemical Society Meeting, Miami Beach, Florida, Oct. 1994.
Gorgos Kathryn
Nicolas Wesley A.
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