Corrosion Behavior of Electroplated Silver Coatings

The functional silver coatings were electrodeposited at various current densities from the borate-phosphate-carbonate (BPC) bath on copper and nickel substrates. The morphology of obtained coatings was studied by SEM and STM. Corrosion properties in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution was determined by methods of impedance spectroscopy and voltammetry. Corrosion products were determined by EDX analysis. The corrosion behavior of silver coatings was strongly related to their morphology. A higher corrosion resistance (15.4 kOhm cm2) was found for silver coatings obtained at lower current density 0.5 A dm2. These coatings were fine-crystalline, smooth and compact. Upon these data, the operational range of current density (0.4 0.6 A dm2) was established. The studied silver coatings are intended for microelectronics applications.