• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.191-196
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• 2018

The self-annealing which leads evolution of microstructure in copper electroplating layers at room temperature occurs after forming deposition layer. During the process, crystal orientation, size and sheet resistance of plating layer change. Lastly, it causes the change of physical and mechanical characteristics such as a tensile strength of plating layer. In this study, the variation of incorporated impurities, microstructure and sheet resistance of copper plating layer formed by electroplating are measured with and without inorganic additives during the self-annealing. In case of absence of inorganic additives, the copper layer presents strong total intensity of incorporated impurities. During the self-annealing, such width of reduction was significant. Moreover, microstructure and crystal size are increased while the tensile strength is decreased noticeably. On the other hand, in the presence of inorganic additives, there is no observable distinction in the copper plating layer. According to the observation on movements of the incorporated impurities in electrodeposition copper layer, within 12 hours the impurities are continuously shifted from inside of the plating layer to its surface after as-deposited electroplating. Within 24 hours, except for the small portion of surface layer, it is considered that most of the microstructure is transformed.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.214-218
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• 1999

The effect of additives in nickel and copper electroplating were investigated for MEMS applications. Saccharin and gelatin were used as additives in nickel and copper electroplating bath respectively. The morphology and surface hardness of electroplated coating were investigated with additive concentration. Microstructures were fabricated with optimum conditions.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2004

Effects of various pretreatments on the adhesion of copper-coated polymer films were investigated. Copper-coated polymer films were prepared by an electron cyclotron resonance-metal organic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-MOCVD) coupled with a DC bias system at room temperature. PET(polyethylene terephthalate) film was employed as a substrate material and it was pretreated by industrially feasible methods such as chromic acid, sand-blasting, oxygen plasma and ion-implantation treatment. Surface characterization of the copper-coated polymer film was carried out by AFM(Atomic Force Microscopy) and FESEM(Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy). Surface energy was calculated by based on the value of the contact angle measured. The adhesion of copper/PET films was determined by a pull-off test according to ASTM D-5179. It was found that suitable pretreatment of the PET substrate was required for obtaining good adhesion property between copper films and the substrate. In this study the highest adhesion was observed in sand-blasting, and then followed by those of acid and oxygen plasma treatment. However, the effect of surface energy was insignificant in our experimental range. This is probably due to compensating the difference in surface energy from various pretreatments by exposing substrate to ECR plasma for 5 min or longer at the early stage of the copper deposition. Therefore, it can be concluded that surface roughness of the polymer substrate plays an important role to determine the adhesion of copper-coated polymer for the deposition of copper by ECR-MOCVD.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.238-244
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• 2016

Copper electrodeposition on AZ91 Mg alloy was studied in views of preferential deposition on ${\alpha}$- or ${\beta}$- phases and how to achieve uniform deposition over the entire surface on ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-phases in a cyanide solution. The inhomogeneous microstructure of AZ91 Mg alloy, particularly ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-phases, was found to result in non-uniform deposition of zincate layer, preferential deposition of zincate on ${\beta}$-phases, which leads to non-uniform growth of copper layer during the following electrodeposition process. The preferential depositions of zincate can be attributed to higher cathodic polarizations on the ${\beta}$-phases. Pin-hole defects in the copper electrodeposit were observed at the center of large size ${\beta}$-phase particles which is ascribed to gas bubbles formed at the ${\beta}$-phases. The activation of AZ91 Mg alloy in hydrofluoric acid solution was used to obtain uniform growth of zincate layer on both the ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-phases. By choosing an optimum activation time, a uniform zincate layer was obtained on the AZ91 Mg alloy surface and thereby uniform growth of copper was obtained in a cyanide copper electroplating solution.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.167-171
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• 2004

The electroless deposition of copper on the hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surface was investigated by means of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The hydrogen-terminated Si(111) surface prepared was stable under air atmosphere for a day or more. It was found from ATR-FTIR that two bands centered at 2000 and 2260 $cm^{-1}$ appeared after the H-Si(111) surface was immersed in 40% $NH_4F$ solution containing 10 mM $Cu^{2+}$. On the other hand, STM image included the copper islands with a height of 5 nm and a diameter of 10-20 nm. The EDS data displayed the presence of copper, silicon and oxygen species. The results were rationalized in terms of the redox reaction of surface Si atoms and $Cu^{2+}$ ions in solutions, which are changed into $Si(OH)_x(F)_y$ containing $SiF_6^{2-}$ ions and neutral copper islands.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.555-558
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• 2010

This study examined the effect of current density on the surface morphology and physical properties of copper plated on a polyimide (PI) film. The morphology, crystal structure, and electric characteristics of the electrodeposited copper foil were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and a four-point probe, respectively. The surface roughness, crystal growth orientation and resistivity was controlled using current density. Large particles were observed on the surface of the copper layer electroplated onto a current density of 25 mA/$cm^2$. However, a uniform surface and lower resistivity were obtained with a current density of 10 mA/$cm^2$. One of the important properties of FCCL is the flexibility of the copper foil. High flexibility of FCCL was obtained at a low current density rather than a high current density. Moreover, a reasonable current density is 20 mA/$cm^2$ considering the productivity and mechanical properties of copper foil.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.283-288
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• 2007

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the seed layer with copper electroplating on the surface morphology of copper foil. Three kinds of seed metal such as platinum, palladium, Pt-Pd alloy were used in this study. Electrodeposition was carried out with the constant current density of 200 $mA/cm^2$ for 68 seconds. Electrochemical experiments, in conjunction with SEM, XRD, AFM and four-point probe, were performed to characterize the morphology and mechanical characteristics of copper foil. Large particles were observed on the surface of the copper deposition layer when a copper foil was electroplated on the 130 nm thickness of Pd, Pt-Pd seed layer. However, a homogeneous surface, low resistivity was obtained when the 260 nm thickness of Pt, Pt-Pd alloy seed layer was used. The minimum value of resistivity was 2.216 ${\mu}{\Omega}-cm$ at the 260 nm thickness of Pt-Pd seed layer.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.55-64
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• 1995

Metallizing method on ceramic surface is one of the compositing technology of ceramics and metal. The purpose of this study is to make HIC (Hybrid Intergrated Circuit) with copper metallizing method of which copper layer is formed on ceramic substrate by firing in atmosphere in lieu of conventional hybrid microcircuit systems based on noble metal. Metallizing pastes were made from various copper compounds such as Cu$_{2}$O, CuO, Cu, CuS and kaolin. And the screen printing method was used. The characteristics of metallized copper layers were analyzed through the measurement of sheet resistance, SEM, and EDZX. The results obtainted are summarized as follows; 1. The copper metallizing layers on ceramic surface can be formed by firing in air. 2. The metallized layer using Cu$_{2}$O paste showed the smallest sheet resistance among a group of copper chemical compounds. And optimum metallizing conditions are 15 minutes of firing time, 1000.deg.C of firig temperature, and 3 minutes of deoxidation time. 3. The results of EDAX analysis showed mutual diffusion of Cu and Al. 4. The kaolin plays a important role of deepening the penetration of Cu to $Al_{2}$O$_{3}$ ceramics. But if the kaolin content is too much, sheet resistance increases and copper metallizing layer becomes brittle.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.725-730
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of additives during copper electrodeposition. Additives such as arabic gum, chloride ions and glue were used in this study. Electrochemical experiments allied to SEM and roughness examination were performed to characterize of the copper foil in the presence of additives. In the production of electrodeposited copper foil, the surface roughness and grain size of the copper foil can be controlled by addition additives. on this study, the more uniform and hemispherical copper crystals are during the initial stages, the smaller crystal size and surface roughness of copper foil are. The surface roughness of copper foil electrodeposited at the current density of 500 $mA/cm^2$ under galvanostatic mode for 60 seconds has a minimum value of 0.136 ${\mu}$m when adding 2 ppm of arabic gum.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2016

The effects of surface modification by nitric acid on the pre-treatment of electroless copper plating were investigated. Copper was electroless-plated on the nitric acid treated graphite activated by a two-step pre-treatment process (sensitization + activation). The chemical state and relative quantities of the various surface species were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) after nitric acid modification or pre-treatment. The acid treatment increased the surface roughness of the graphite due to deep and fine pores and introduced the oxygen-containing functional groups (-COOH and O-C=O) on the surface of graphite. In the pre-treatment step, the high roughness and many functional groups on the nitric acid treated graphite promoted the adsorption of Sn and Pd ions, leading to the uniform adsorption of catalyst ($Pd^0$) for Cu deposition. In the early stage of electroless plating, a lot of tiny copper particles were formed on the whole surface of acid treated graphite and then homogeneous copper film with low variation in thickness was formed after 30 min.