Effect of tartrate on the morphological characteristics of the copper-tin electrodeposits from a noncyanide acid bath

Copper and tin were electrodeposited on platinum substrates from a 1.0 M sulphuric acid plating bath in the presence and absence of tartrate. Voltammetric curves indicated two deposition processes, at -0.310 and -0.640 V, which do not shift upon addition of tartrate to the plating bath. The presence of tartrate decreased the current density in the region of the more cathodic process. The metals were electrodeposited at both deposition potentials and the deposits have the same proportions of copper and tin either with or without tartrate in the plating bath, as observed by AAS. X-ray spectra suggested that a mixture of Cu and eta-Cu6Sn5 alloy was deposited at the less cathodic potential. SEM analysis showed that tartrate affects the morphology of the films.