THE HYDRODYNAMIC ELECTROPLATING TEST CELL

A new electroplating test cell has been proposed to analyze the perfor mance of plating solutions in electroplating processes. The hydrodynam ic electroplating test cell is composed of a rotating cylinder, an ele ctrolytic cell, and two electrode plates. Because in this study the ca thode and anode plates are placed in the radial direction, which resul ts in a distance variation between the two electrodes, a variation of current density or deposit thickness on the cathode panel may occur. T o enhance the mass transfer near the cathode plate, as in high-speed e lectroplating, the plating solution can be stirred strongly by use of a rotating cylinder. As employed in this study, a rotating cylinder ca n provide stable and well-controlled hydrodynamic conditions, and enha nce plating stability and performance. Also, this test cell can be ope rated with high currents for high-speed electroplating tests.