Controlling the thermal stability of texture in single-phase electrodeposits

Crystallographic texture measurements were used to assess the annealing pro perties of electrodeposited layers of nickel. The deposits analyzed represe nted: (i) nanocrystalline grains of average size near 50 nm, (ii) structure s with grains all above a micrometer in diameter and (iii) bimodal structur es containing grains 4 mu m in diameter in coexistence with grains about 10 0 nm in diameter. It was found that bimodal structures displayed the same l ow thermal stability as did the nanocrystalline deposits. In contrast, the thermal stability of deposits with uniform grain in micrometer range was su bstantially increased. It is concluded that the presence of fine-grain comp onent in the inhomogeneous microstructure controls annealing behaviour of t he entire deposit. (C)1999 Acta Metallurgica Inc.