Abstract

L. Mentar

The electrocrystallization process of Co-Cu alloy thin films deposited on a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated conducting glass substrate in sulfate solution was studied using cyclic voltammetry and chronoampermetry techniques. The results clearly show that the potential of Co-Cu dissolution and their positive shifts depend on the cathodic limit and reveal a variation of the deposit composition when switching potential is varied. From the analysis of the current transients on the basis of the Scharifker-Hills model, it is found that nucleation mechanism is instantaneous with a typical three-dimensional (3D) nucleation and growth process. A strong dependence of the number of active sites N₀ with applied potential is observed on FTO surface.

Electrodeposition; Co–Cu alloy; cyclic voltammetry; chronoamperometry

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