Electrodeposition of paramagnetic copper film under magnetic field on paramagnetic aluminum alloy substrates

Electrodeposition of paramagnetic copper (Cu) from a sulfate solution was investigated under magnetic fields and two different current densities. Static magnetic fields have been used during electrodeposition of para-magnetic Cu onto paramagnetic aluminum (Al) substrate to enhance the deposition rate and to alter crystallographic orientation and morphology of the film. The magnetic field might be attributed to the field-induced convection that disrupts the depletion layer near the electrode and that might also be correlated to Cu, Al, and oxygen dissolved in the solution as paramagnetic materials. An X-ray diffractometry, a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometry, a potentiostat, and a digital camera were used for characterizing the crystal structure, morphology, the electrochemical behavior, and wettability, respectively. The results show that, at the current density of 10 mA cm-2, raising the magnetic field from 800 to 1400 G increases the cathode current efficien-cy and alters the electrochemical behavior, the crystal growth, and the crystallite size. At the current density of 30 mA cm-2, the magnetic field alters the growth and crystallographic orientation. The static magnetic field exposed during electrodeposition of Cu onto the Al alloy can control the film properties, especially crystallographic orientation and the oxygen content.