A comparative investigation of the effects of some alcohols on copper electrodeposition from pyrophosphate bath

Abstract As a kind of environmentally friendly and highly effective additive, alcohols have broad application prospects in copper electrodeposition. It is highly desired to expand the types of alcohol additives. In this study, electroplating of copper coatings from a pyrophosphate bath in presence of glycerol, erythritol, xylitol and glucose, respectively, were comparatively investigated, including nucleation mechanism, electrochemical kinetic parameters, surface morphology, purity as well as electrical conductivity. It was demonstrated that glucose was a desirable grain refiner. A possible mechanism responsible for the high effectiveness of glucose is that the pyrophosphate bath has the maximum charge transfer coefficient as well as the minimum diffusion coefficient of copper ions after its addition, thereby inhibiting the growth of copper nucleus. The study offers researchers with more options in the selection of alcohol additives for copper electrodeposition.