Development of Hybrid Electro-Electroless Deposit (HEED) Coatings and Applications

Since the discovery of electroless deposition within the electroplating process, the two techniques have grown as two separate, yet parallel, means of deposition. This paper demonstrates the reunification of the two processes in what is herein named hybrid electro-electroless deposition, or HEED. Specifically, the novel reunification as outlined within this study demonstrates that electroplating and electroless deposition can be achieved from a single solution wherein each process specifically targets a different metal ion within the electrolyte. The successful production of a compositionally modulated Au/Co/Au ti-layer from a single electrolyte using modulated electroless and electro-plating is described. Additionally, the practical application of producing compositionally modulated Ni-Zn-P alloy layers on AZ91D Mg alloys is demonstrated. (C) 2014 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.