A Study on the Effect of Pulse Electrodeposition Parameters on the Morphology of Pure Tin Coatings

Pure Sn coatings are prepared by pulse current (PC) electrodeposition using aqueous acidic sulfate plating bath. The effects of various electroplating parameters such as current density, additive concentration, duty cycle, frequency, pH, bath temperature, and stirring rate (bath rotation) on the evolution of surface morphology of the coatings have been studied. The as-deposited coatings are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and surface profilometry. It is found that the current density, additive concentration, duty cycle, frequency, and pH have a major influence while temperature and stirring rate of the bath have a minor effect on the grain-size distribution. The mechanism involved in the morphology evolution and grain-size distribution due to the varying electroplating parameters has also been discussed.