IN-SITU ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPY STUDY OF THE PLATING AND STRIPPING OF SILVER

The morphology of silver deposited on a platinum electrode from aqueous solutions of H2SO4, Na2SO4, and Ag2SO4 was investigated for different concentrations of silver ions and different potential sweep rates (1, 4, and 10 mV/s) using in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (ECAFM). At a sweep rate of 1 mV/s two kinds of silver crystals formed: smaller ones (distributed uniformly over the electrode surface) and larger ones (nucleated on scratches). At faster sweep rates the deposit becomes more uniform. The roughness of the silver deposit decreased and the deposit uniformity increased during extended cycling at a constant sweep rate. Some artifacts due to the presence of the AFM tip were observed when the force between the tip and the electrode surface was large.