Anodic oxides maximum potential

Typical anodization curves of silicon electrodes in aqueous electrolytes are shown in Fig. 5.1 [Pa9]. The oxidation can be performed under potential control or under current control. For the potentiostatic case the current density in the first few seconds of anodization is only limited by the electrolyte conductivity [Ba2]. In this respect the oxide formation in this time interval is not truly under potentiostatic control, which may cause irreproducible results [Ba7]. In aqueous electrolytes of low resistivity the potentiostatic characteristic shows a sharp current peak when the potential is switched to a positive value at t=0. After this first current peak a second broader one is observed for potentials of 16 V and higher, as shown in Fig. 5.1a. The first sharp peak due to anodic oxidation is also observed in low concentrated HF, as shown in Fig. 4.14. In order to avoid the initial current peak, the oxidation can be performed under potentiodynamic conditions (V/f =const), as shown in Fig. 5.1b. In this case the current increases slowly near t=0, but shows a pronounced first maximum at a constant bias of about 19 V, independently of scan rate. The charge consumed between t=0 and this first maximum is in the order of 0.2 mAs cnT2. After this first maximum several other maxima at different bias are observed. 

For galvanostatic anodization a first potential maximum is again observed at about 19 V, and the thickness of the anodic oxide at this maxima has been determined to be about 11 nm, as shown in Fig. 5.4. Note that these values correspond to an electric field strength of about 17 MV cm4. The first maximum may be followed by several more, as shown in Fig. 5.1c and d. Note that these pronounced maxima become smeared out or even disappear for an increase in anodization current density (Fig. 5.Id), a reduction in temperature (Fig. 5.1c), or an increase in electrolyte resistivity. The latter value is usually too large for organic electrolytes to observe any current maxima. A dependence of these maxima on crystal orientation [Le4] or doping kind and density [Pa9] is not observed. The rich structure of the anodization curves is interpreted as transition of the oxide morphology and is discussed in detail in the next section. 

Capacitors can be polarized or non-polarized, depending on the - dielectric. Non-polarized devices have dielectrics consisting of ceramics or polymers (such as polystyrene, polyester, or polypropylene). They are normally box-shaped and their capacity is usually in the range from pF to pF, the maximum voltage up to 1000 V. Polarized capacitors are electrochemical devices the dielectric is an anodic oxide of A1 (pF to 100 mF, potentials up to 1000 V), Ta (capacities pF to 100 pF, potentials up to 20 V), or Nb (- electrolytic capacitor) or a double layer (- supercapacitor, capacities up to some 10 F and potentials up to 2.5 V or 5 V). Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are normally of cylindrical shape with radial or axial leads. Tantalum capacitors are of spherical shape and super capacitors form flat cylinders. 

LaNi03 shows two-dimensional semiconducting character which would be responsible for the C 2 vs. E plots. Similar results have been reported for the reduction of Fe(CN)g" on Pb02 in 0.5MK2SO4 solutions by Lovrecek et. al [89]. While diffusion-controlled anodic oxidation currents on Pb02 are the same as on platinum, at potentials below 0.175 V vs. SCE where reduction of the oxide surface becomes noticeable, cathodic currents fall to very small values and the j-E curve shows a maximum. 

AFM images of A1 surface after electropolishing and anodic oxidation are presented in Fig. 1. The best results of electropohshing is obtained at 60 V etching potential for 30 s. As the result of this process 50 pm of A1 was dissolved. The period of the nanopattem was about 80 run independently on electrolyte concentration. Maximum height of the pattern was 4-6 nm. 

Figure 6. The influence of the scanning speed of the potential on the value of the current (a) and the potential (b) at the maximum of the voltammogram at the anodic oxidation of Gly from the adsorbed layer on R(Pt).

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