The Effect of a Substrate Material on Composition Gradients of Fe-Ni Films obtained by Electrodeposition

The electrodeposition of FeNi alloy films was performed galvanostatically in the sulfate solution (Fe(2+)/Ni(2+) mass ratio 1:2) in order investigate their co-deposition mechanism. The FeNi layers were deposited at variable substrates (copper, brass, silver) under the same chemical (electrolyte composition) and electric plating (current density value) conditions. After applying various time, substrates and external magnetic field orientation, the quality of the obtained film was examined. The surface morphology and crystallographic texture variation were investigated by the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (WDXRF) and Laser Confocal Scanning Microscope (LCSM). The anomalous co-deposition of iron group metals is evidently dependent on the substrate.