Enhanced Mechanical and Tribological Capabilities of a Silicon Aluminum Alloy with an Electroplated Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 Composite Coating

Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 composite coatings were fabricated over an aluminum–silicon (Al–Si) substrate using a pulse-current electroplating process, in which the rapid deposition of an intermediate nickel–cobalt layer was used to improve coating adhesion. The microstructure, mechanical, and tribological behaviors of the electroplated Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 composite coating were characterized and evaluated. The results revealed that the electroplated Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 composite coating primarily consisted of highly crystalline Ni–Co sosoloid and P, and a volumetric concentration of 7.65% Si3N4. The electroplated Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 composite coating exhibited hardness values almost two times higher than the uncoated Al–Si substrate, which was comparable to hard chrome coatings. Under lubricated and dry sliding conditions, the electroplated Ni–Co–P/Si3N4 composite coating showed excellent anti-wear performance. Whether dry or lubricated with PAO and engine oil, the composite coating showed minimum abrasive wear compared to the severe adhesive wear and abrasive wear observed in the Al–Si substrate.

Electroplated core–shell nanowire network electrodes for highly efficient organic light-emitting diodes

In this study, we performed metal (Ag, Ni, Cu, or Pd) electroplating of core–shell metallic Ag nanowire (AgNW) networks intended for use as the anode electrode in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to modify the work function (WF) and conductivity of the AgNW networks. This low-cost and facile electroplating method enabled the precise deposition of metal onto the AgNW surface and at the nanowire (NW) junctions. AgNWs coated onto a transparent glass substrate were immersed in four different metal electroplating baths: those containing AgNO3 for Ag electroplating, NiSO4 for Ni electroplating, Cu2P2O7 for Cu electroplating, and PdCl2 for Pd electroplating. The solvated metal ions (Ag+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Pd2+) in the respective electroplating baths were reduced to the corresponding metals on the AgNW surface in the galvanostatic mode under a constant electric current achieved by linear sweep voltammetry via an external circuit between the AgNW networks (cathode) and a Pt mesh (anode). The amount of electroplated metal was systematically controlled by varying the electroplating time. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the four different metals (shells) were successfully electroplated on the AgNWs (core), and the nanosize-controlled electroplating process produced metal NWs with varying diameters, conductivities, optical transmittances, and WFs. The metal-electroplated AgNWs were successfully employed as the anode electrodes of the OLEDs. This facile and low-cost method of metal electroplating of AgNWs to increase their WFs and conductivities is a promising development for the fabrication of next-generation OLEDs.

3D TSV hybrid pixel detector modules with ATLAS FE-I4 readout electronic chip

The through silicon via (TSV) technology has been introduced in a wide range of electronic packaging applications. Hybrid pixel detectors for X-ray imaging and for high-energy physics (HEP) can benefit from this technology as well. A 3D TSV prototype using the ATLAS FE-I4 readout electronic chip is described in this paper. This type of readout chip is already prepared for the TSV backside process providing a TSV landing pad in the first metal layer of the backend-of-line (BEOL) layer stack. Based on this precondition a TSV backside via-last process is developed on ATLAS FE-I4 readout chip wafer. The readout chip wafers were thinned to 100 µm and 80 µm final thickness and straight sidewall vias with 60 µm in diameter has been etched into the silicon from wafer backside using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE). The filling of the TSVs and the formation of the wafer backside interconnection were provided by a copper electroplating process. ATLAS FE-I4 readout chips with through silicon vias has been successfully tested, tuned and operated. In addition, hybrid pixel detector modules have been flip chip bonded using ATLAS FE-I4 TSV readout chips and planar sensor chips. After mounting the bare modules onto a support PCB, its full functionality has been verified with a source scan.

Electroplating Deposition of Bismuth Absorbers for X-ray Superconducting Transition Edge Sensors

An absorber with a high absorbing efficiency is crucial for X-ray transition edge sensors (TESs) to realize high quantum efficiency and the best energy resolution. Semimetal Bismuth (Bi) has shown greater superiority than gold (Au) as the absorber due to the low specific heat capacity, which is two orders of magnitude smaller. The electroplating process of Bi films is investigated. The Bi grains show a polycrystalline rhombohedral structure, and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns show a typical crystal orientation of (012). The average grain size becomes larger as the electroplating current density and the thickness increase, and the orientation of Bi grains changes as the temperature increases. The residual resistance ratio (RRR) (R300 K/R4.2 K) is 1.37 for the Bi film (862 nm) deposited with 9 mA/cm2 at 40 °C for 2 min. The absorptivity of the 5 μm thick Bi films is 40.3% and 30.7% for 10 keV and 15.6 keV X-ray radiation respectively, which shows that Bi films are a good candidate as the absorber of X-ray TESs.

Influence of current density and temperature in the zinc electroplating process at sulfate-based acid solution: study on process efficiency and coating morphology

Zinc as a metallic coating is a common strategy to protect the carbon steel against corrosion. The most common process of zinc deposition is known as electroplating. Because of the high toxicity of cyanide-based baths, the interest in acid baths has grown, but they present many challenges to be overcome. Several operational parameters and bath constitution – such as current density, pH, and zinc concentration – can impact the current efficiency, deposit quality, and coating morphology. In this work, the process efficiency and the coating morphology were evaluated on electroplated AISI 1008 carbon steel samples. The current density and temperature were individually varied on a range from 7.5 mA.cm-2 to 30.5 mA.cm-2, and from 40 °C to 60 °C, respectively. The process efficiency was evaluated by current efficiency (eC). The surface morphology was analyzed by both optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Varying the bath temperature did not promote impacts in the current efficiency, which remained in all temperatures evaluated over 95%. On the other hand, increasing the current density, increased the current efficiency, starting from (85 ± 2)% at 7.5 mA.cm-2 to (92 ± 2)% at 19.0 mA.cm-2, and (95 ± 1)% at 30.5 mA.cm-2. Through OM and SEM analysis, the increase in the temperature tended to turn the coating rougher, and the sample was not completely covered at 7.5 mA.cm-2. Therefore, we recommend the use of a temperature between 40 °C and 50 °C associated with a current density of 30.5 mA.cm-2.

Production of Nano-Composite Hydroxyapatite-Based Coatings through Reverse Pulse Electroplating

Since the discovery of synthetic HAp in the 1950s, hydroxyapatite is becoming a significant covering material for bio implants. A regulated surface roughness/porosity, appropriate chemical resistance, and a desirable tri-biological behavior are required for HAp coatings. On substrates with a variety of structure, composition, size, and shape, the coating process must be applied at varied scales and at a fast enough rate. There is a full description of both dry and wet coating procedures included in this article. Cathode efficiency fell as tc- increased, although it was still better than DC coatings. In this paper, the mechanism of HAp electrodeposition is examined, as well as the effect of operational variables on deposit characteristics. Recent advances in the field are critically examined. HAp composite coatings, including those reinforced with metallic, ceramic, and polymeric particles, as well as nanotubes, modified graphene’s, chitosan, and heparin, are discussed in depth. On the other hand, a glance towards the future in the field of electrodeposited HAp coatings is taken. Different experimental parameters were explored to establish the optimal reaction conditions for HA-Ag nanocomposites. Pulse reverse plating (PRP) in combination with an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), was utilized for the first time to generate nanocomposite Co-Al2O3 electrodeposited coatings, using a technique similar to that used for Co – IF WS2 deposition in prior work. The optimal plating setups in the pulse-reverse electroplating (PRP) mechanism for non-anomalous plating of Co–Ni deposits (i.e., the metal composition of deposits equals that of the plating solutions) from chloride solutions were determined using experimental strategies such as fractional factorial design (FFD), path of steepest ascent, and central composite design (CCD) combined with the response surfaces (RSM). The FFD research found that the potentials and time duration of pulse-plating had a significant impact on the composition of Co–Ni deposits. The two parameters were the sharpest ascending route and the best circumstances for non-anomalous plating of Co–Ni layers. NiFe thin films produced by pulse reverse (PR) electrodeposition are potential alternatives for the next phase of core magnetic materials that will be utilized in high shifting frequency magnetic elements. For statistical modeling and analysis of the nickel electroplating process outcomes, the central composite experimental design and response surface technique were used. The empirical models developed in terms of design variables (current density J (A/dm2), temperature T (C), and pH) were found to be statistically adequate to describe the process responses, namely cathode efficiency Y%, coating thickness U (m), brightness V%, and hardness W%. (HV). The response surfaces were explored and analyzed using graphical representations consisting of 2D contour plots and 3D surface plots in order to determine the main, quadratic, and interaction effects. The desirability function method was used to do multi-response optimization of the nickel electroplating process. To this aim, a genetic algorithm was employed to solve the multi-response issue mathematically. The optimization method resulted in the Pareto optimum set, which is a collection of similar solutions.

Material Test Comparison of Pure Aluminum (Al) and Pure Aluminum-Coated (Al) with Silver (Ag) Substrat Using Electroplating Method

Electroplating uses aluminum material, where it’s easy to obtain, lighter, and cheaper than other metals. The research goal was to determine the ability of the electric current to power aluminum (Al) coated with silver (Ag) by the electroplating method, to determine the effect of the magnitude of the electric current and the length of time the coating process took on the weight of Al coated with Ag and to determine the strength of the metal Al after tested using Brinnell test. The method used is to compare pure Al and pure Al coated with Ag by electroplating at different currents to determine the effect of the electroplating process. A Brinnell test was carried out to determine the hardness of the Al material after electroplating. The results are the amount of current that flows during the electroplating is directly proportional to the thickness of the electroplating layer attached to the Al surface. If the electroplating process uses a large current, the attached layer will look rough and not smooth, which also affects the material testing by using the Brinnell method. The Brinnell test proves that the hardness value of the Al material is directly proportional to the thickness of the layer.

Continuous monitoring of diabetes with an integrated microneedle biosensing device through 3D printing

Diabetes is a prevalent chronic metabolic disease with multiple clinical manifestations and complications, and it is among the leading causes of death. Painless and continuous monitoring of interstitial glucose is highly desirable for diabetes management. Here we unprecedentedly show continuous monitoring of diabetes with an integrated microneedle biosensing device. The device was manufactured with a 3D printing process, a microfabrication process, an electroplating process, and an enzyme immobilization step. The device was inserted into the dermis layer of mouse skin and showed accurate sensing performance for monitoring subcutaneous glucose levels in normal or diabetic mice. The detection results were highly correlated with those obtained from a commercial blood glucose meter. We anticipate that the study could open exciting avenues for monitoring and managing diabetes, alongside fundamental studies of subcutaneous electronic devices.