Formation of Cerium Oxide/Hydroxide on Copper Substrates by a Spontaneous Immersion Process

Abstract

A spontaneous immersion process has been developed to deposit adherent cerium oxide/hydroxide coatings on copper foil from an aqueous bath consisting of cerium nitrate, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium chloride. The spontaneous cerium oxide/hydroxide deposition exhibited characteristics consistent with an immersion process, with the deposition rate decreasing as the copper substrate was coated. A deposition mechanism is proposed in which the reaction of copper with hydrogen peroxide produced near-surface-pH conditions conducive to cerium oxide/hydroxide precipitation on the copper surface. Hydrogen peroxide concentration was varied between 0 and 1 vol % percent (as a 30% solution), with 0.2% producing the maximum deposition rate of 8-10 nm/min. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations above the optimum concentration resulted in substrate passivation due to the stabilization of copper oxide, which retarded coating formation. Parts-per-million concentrations of chloride ion were found to increase deposition kinetics without affecting the copper dissolution rate, possibly by destabilizing copper oxide formation. Autocatalytic hydrogen peroxide decomposition on the coating surface did not appear to play an important role in the deposition mechanism.

Department(s)

Materials Science and Engineering

Sponsor(s)

Air Force Research Laboratory (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Keywords and Phrases

Deposition Rates; Immersion Processes; Cerium oxides; Copper foil; Hydroxides

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

0013-4651

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2007 the Electrochemical Society (ECS), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Aug 2007

Link to Full Text

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