Effects of current density on mechanical properties of electroplated nickel with high speed sulfamate bath

In this work, defect-free and high mechanical strength nickel films are deposited at a high growth rate using a high concentration sulfamate bath for applications in fabrication of MEMS components. Effects of the applied current density on the morphology, average grain size, Vickers hardness, micro-mechanical property, and thickness distribution are studied. The average grain size is refined to a minimum value when the current density is increased from 10 to 20 mA/cm(2). The finest grain size obtained is 349.8 nm. The grain refinement effect is a result of the promoted nucleation rate as the applied current density increased. When the current density is beyond 20 mA/cm(2), overpotential of the nickel reduction reaction is lowered because of the promoted hydrogen evolution and causes coarsening of the average grain size. The film electroplated at 20 mA/cm(2) shows a high growth rate at 0.296 mu m/min, the highest Vickers hardness at 371 HV, and the yield stress evaluated by micro-compression test is 1.3 GPa. Relationship between the average grain size and the applied current density follows the Hall-Petch relationship well.