Fabrication of micro-Ni arrays by electroless and electrochemical depositions with etched porous aluminum template

• Published in: Bulletin of materials science Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 641 - 645
• Main Authors: Lu, Houfang, Yan, Kangping, Yan, Jixin, Wang, Jianzhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Springer-Verlag 01-10-2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Arrays; Chemistry and Materials Science; Columns (structural); Deposition; Diameters; Electroless plating; Engineering; Etching (metallography); Materials Science; Membranes; Nickel; Photoelectrons; Scanning electron microscopy; Substrates; Tubes; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; X-rays; nickel; electrochemical deposition; electroless deposition; Template
• ISSN: 0250-4707; 0973-7669
• DOI: 10.1007/s12034-010-0098-5

Nickel micro-arrays were fabricated by electroless and electrochemical deposition in an etched porous aluminum membrane. The aluminum membrane with metal characteristic could be fabricated from high-purity aluminium by electrochemical method. The aluminum reduced Ni
2+
into Ni and the formed Ni nuclei served as the catalyst for further reduction of Ni
2+
in electroless solution. With the help of the membrane, nickel micro-columns of about 1–2 μm diameter were obtained. The surface-deposited nickel layer served as a substrate for the nickel micro-columns, and the resulting material possessed strong mechanical strength. Electrochemical deposition was operated without preparing a conductive layer on the template due to the conductivity of the aluminum membrane. Nickel micro-tubes with an outer diameter of about 1–2 μm and a wall thickness in the order of tens of nm were obtained. The nickel micro-arrays were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).