Abstract
Coating thickness distribution, surface appearance, and grain size are known to be important factors in determining the effectiveness of coatings used in the production of printed circuit boards. Square wave unipolar pulse and bipolar pulse reverse current electroplating of copper using an acid copper electrolyte has been reported to provide a coating superior to that produced by dc under certain pulsing conditions. The present paper describes a systematic assessment of the properties of electrodeposited coatings produced under unipolar pulse and bipolar pulse reverse current plating conditions. Results show that the overall coating uniformity under pulsing conditions is better than that obtained using dc plating. The surface texture of the coatings is shown to be strongly dependent on the pulsing conditions and is especially affected by bipolar pulse reverse conditions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.