ELECTROCHEMICALLY DEPOSITED THIN-FILMS OF AMORPHOUS FE-P ALLOY PART-I- CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND PHASE-STRUCTURE CHARACTERIZATION

Thin Fe-P alloy films (0.5 to 25.0 mu m thick) were electrodeposited f rom sulfate solutions. The influences of various deposition conditions (current density, time, pH and temperature) on the composition and st ructure of the deposited films were examined. These Fe-P films were fi rst characterized by the ALSV. The voltammograms obtained show several current peaks, indicating the presence of several different phase str uctures in the deposit. Chemical composition of the phase structures i n the film was determined by EDX analysis and the amorphous nature of the alloy was verified by XRD and DTA techniques. Chemical and phase s tructure compositions of the alloys (containing 15-50 at.% P in the fo rm of phosphides FeP, Fe2P and/or Fe3P) were found to depend on deposi tion conditions. Appearance and morphology of the film alloys were als o found to depend on deposition conditions, particularly current densi ty, as illustrated by the SEM technique. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A . All rights reserved.