Copper electrodeposition studies with a reciprocating paddle

Electroplating processes usually are limited by diffusion of the active species to the cathode. Agitation techniques increase mass transfer and thus, the rate of deposition by reducing the diffusion layer thickness. Agitation is performed either by movement of the cathode or the plating solution. A reciprocating paddle cell has been used to deposit alloy films of uniform thickness on large surface areas. The paddle consists of a pair of confronting, separated triangular blocks aligned parallel to a cathode and was designed in this manner to provide uniform laminar flow. Mass-transfer studies for the electrodeposition of Cu in an aqueous solution of 0.05M CuSO sub 4 and 1M H sub 2 SO sub 4 have been performed recently using this paddle design. In this study, the rate and quality of Cu electrodeposition using a simple rectangular reciprocating paddle agitation device were investigated. . 11 ref.--AA