Local electrochemical deposition of copper from sulfate solution

Abstract

Local electrochemical deposition is a type of electroplating used to plate metal locally or form metal objects using electrochemical principles at a short distance from the working electrode. In this work, deposition of the copper spot was modelled using COMSOL software and experimentally tested in copper sulfate electrolyte using soluble copper anode. The working capillary diameter was 4 mm and the interelectrode distance was 5 mm. The deposited copper of 100 µm thickness was investigated using the 3D-profilometry technique. The geometry of deposited metal was found to be in good accordance with the COMSOL model. The inclusions of anodic sludge were responsible for the surface inhomogeneity of the deposited copper.