Adhesion of Electrodeposited Copper, Nickel and Silver Films on Copper, Nickel and Silver Substrates

In the present study, the adhesive properties and interface microstructures of various electrodeposited films to various metallic substrates were investigated in detail. The adhesive strength of Cu, Ni and Ag thin films which were electrodeposited on the copper foils or the other metallic substrates deposited on copper foil were evaluated by adhesive tape test, while their interface structures were analyzed by using SEM, EDS, GD-OES and TEM. Cu deposited film on Ni or Ag film substrate, Ni deposited film on Ag film substrate as well as Ag deposited film on Ni or Cu film substrate are readily exfoliated from the substrate, showing a weak adhesion. It can be seen that there is a crystallographic coherency existing in the interface between Cu deposited films and Ni substrate. However, no crystallographic coherency can be observed in the interface between the Cu deposited film and Ag substrate. The results indicated that the adhesive properties of electrodeposited films closely correlate to the kind of metallic substrates, probably depending upon the different crystallographic coherency between the deposited films and various substrates.