MASKLESS ZINC ELECTRODEPOSITION ASSISTED BY A PULSED-LASER BEAM

This paper deals with jet electrodeposition for the production of mask less deposits and patterns of a well-defined shape, and the potential improvements allowed by a pulsed laser beam. On the basis of the examp le of zinc deposition in a sulphate medium, several aspects of this ty pe of deposition (mass transfer rate, i-E curves, morphology of the de posit, and the effect of a pulsed YAG laser beam at 532 nm) are presen ted. Laser assistance has no significant effect on the deposition curr ent. Pulsed irradiation improves zinc morphology by an appreciable gra in coalescence and a reduction in grain size; this results in increase d precision of the maskless deposits, the central zones of which are a s wide as the nozzle.