Electrodeposition is a very important technology in the fabrication of micro-components for micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) or integrated circuits. Evaluations of the materials used in these devices as 3D components should be conducted using micro-sized specimens due to the sample size effect on the practical use of the components. Nanocrystalline metals could be deposited using an electrodeposition method with supercritical CO2 emulsion. Our experiment on the micro-specimens provides information on micro-mechanical testing of electrodeposited metals including the effect of sample size, grain size, and anisotropic structures on mechanical properties. In this chapter, recent studies on crystal growth in electrodeposition of metals and its evaluation using micron-sized testing will be presented.
Part of the book: Electroplating of Nanostructures
Strengthening of electrodeposited gold-based materials is achieved by alloying with copper according to the solid solution strengthening mechanism. Composition of the Au–Cu alloys is affected by the applied current density. The mechanical properties are evaluated by micro-compression tests to evaluate the mechanical properties in microscale to take consideration of the sample size effect for applications as microcomponents in MEMS devices. The yield strength reaches 1.15 GPa for the micropillar fabricated from constant current electrodeposited Au–Cu film, and the film is composed of 30.3 at% Cu with an average grain size of 5.3 nm. The yield strength further increases to 1.50 GPa when pulse current electrodeposition method is applied, and the Cu concentration is 36.9 at% with the average grain size at 4.4 nm.
Part of the book: Novel Metal Electrodeposition and the Recent Application