Differences observed in the surface morphology and microstructure of Ni-Fe-Cu ternary thin films electrochemically deposited at low and high applied current densities

摘要

Inthisresearch,nanocrystallineNi-Fe-CuternarythinfilmsusingelectrochemicaldepositiontechniquewereproducedatlowandhighappliedcurrentdensitiesontoIndiumTinOxide(ITO)coatedconductingglasssubstrates.Changeofsurfacemorphologyandmicrostructuralpropertiesofthefilmswereinvestigated.EnergydispersiveX-rayspectroscopy(EDX)measurementsshowedthattheNi-Fe-Cuternarythinfilmsexhibitanomalouscodepositionbehaviourduringtheelectrochemicaldepositionprocess.FromtheX-raydiffraction(XRD)analyses,itwasrevealedthattherearetwosegregatedphasessuchasCu-richandNi-richwithinthefilms.Thecrystallographicstructureofthefilmswasface-centeredcubic(FCC).Itwasalsoobservedthatthefilmhaslowerlatticemicro-strainandhighertexturedegreeathighappliedcurrentdensity.Scanningelectronmicroscopy(SEM)studiesrevealedthatthefilmshaveroundedshapeparticlesonthebasepartandcauliflower-likestructuresontheupperpart.Thefilmelectrodepositedathighcurrentdensityhadconsiderablysmallerroundedshapeparticlesandcauliflower-likestructures.Fromtheatomicforcemicroscopy(AFM)analyses,itwasshownthatthefilmdepositedathighcurrentdensityhassmallerparticlesizeandsurfaceroughnessthanthefilmgrownatlowcurrentdensity...