METAL DISTRIBUTION IN JET PLATING

Jet plating is a high-speed electroplating technique. Due to its speci al flow characteristics it can be used to localize the electrodepositi on reaction of an unmasked cathode. in this process, a jet of plating solution is directed to a cathode surface, and electroplating is done by applying an electric field between the cathode and an anode located in the jet nozzle. The electric current travels along the jet stream to the cathode, and electrodeposition reaction takes places locally on ly on the area where the jet impinges on the cathode surface. The obje ctive of this study is to find the metal thickness distribution on the cathode surface as a function of current density, electrolyte composi tion electrolyte velocity, and nozzle height. Copper plating form an a cidic copper sulfate bath and nickel plating from a Watts nickel bath and a nickel sulfamate bath were studied.