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Eutectic Sn-3.5wt.%Ag alloy is one of the most promising lead-free solders in low temperature processes for wafer bumping. Near eutectic composition of deposited alloy films could be readily acquired by pulse electroplating with a proper combination of active ingredients including K4P2O7, KI, Sn2P2O7, and AgI, as well as polyethylene glycol (PEG), with molecular weights of 200, 600, 2,000, and 4,000, as an inhibitive agent. Pulse electroplating was carried out with current in alternating polarity to conduct electroplating and electropolishing sequentially. As a result, alloy films with grains of less than 1 µm and uniform surface morphology can be obtained. The addition of PEG was necessary for the stabilization of the plating baths to promote a wider process window for the desirable eutectic composition. Electrochemical characterization established that PEG with molecular weight of 4,000 exhibited the strongest inhibition behavior. In contrast, PEG with molecular weight of 200 demonstrated the least interference. Energy dispersive X-ray and differential scanning calorimeter data confirmed the formation of eutectic alloy as a function of deposition current density. X-ray diffraction results indicated that a biphasic structures of β-Sn and ε-Ag3Sn was present in the as-deposited film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated a nanostructured brush by carrying out Ni deposition on a through-channel anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, followed by removal of the AAO skeleton. The AAO was prepared by a two-step anodization process resulting in pore diameter and thickness of 350 nm and 40 µm, respectively. Subsequently, the AAO underwent an electroless deposition involving sensitization, activation, and Ni plating, in conjunction with polyethylene glycol used as the inhibitor to prevent premature closing of pore opening. After deliberate control in relevant parameters, we obtained a conformal Ni overcoat along every pore channel leading to a reduced average pore diameter of 78 nm. Afterward, the sample was immersed in a KOH solution to remove the AAO structure, forming freestanding Ni tubules in a brush configuration. The nanostructured brush revealed considerable enhancement for hydrogen evolution reaction in both current-potential polarization and galvanostatic measurements, which were attributed to the increment in apparent surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordered arrays of Ta2O5 nanodots were prepared using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a template to support localized oxidation of TaN. Films of TaN (50 nm) and Al (1.5 µm) were deposited successively on p-type Si wafers and followed by a two-step anodization process at 40 V using oxalic acid as the electrolyte. The first anodization promoted growth of irregular AAO from overlying Al film. After chemical etching, the second anodization was performed to develop well-organized AAO channels and initiate oxidation of underlying TaN film to form tantalum oxide nanodots at the AAO pore bottoms. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results confirmed the chemical nature of nanodots as stoichmetric Ta2O5. X-ray diffraction demonstrated the amorphous characteristic of Ta2O5. As shown in field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron results, the Ta2O5 nanodots exhibited a hillock structure 80 nm in diameter at the bottom and 50 nm in height. We also synthesized 30-nm nanodots by adjusting AAO formation electrochemistry. This demonstrates the general applicability of the AAO template method for nanodot synthesis from nitride to oxide at a desirable size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]