CONTENTS Electroless Metal Deposition

Many factors influence the deposition kinetics of P and B, including metal ion and complexant concentrations, solution pH, and temperature. Though unavoidable side products of the electroless deposits, P and B impart unique properties to electroless deposits, e.g., good corrosion resistance in the case of Ni-P deposits, where the P content can exceed 30 at% in certain solutions [10, 11],... 

For practical as well as fundamental reasons, there has been considerable interest in the deposition of alloys containing metals such as W, Mo, and Sn. In their pure forms, these metals do not catalyze the oxidation of the usual electroless reducing agents. Therefore, their mechanism of codeposition is intriguing, and developing an understanding of it should help to better understand the mechanism of electroless deposition as whole. Obvious questions in ternary and quaternary alloy deposition include the effect of the third or fourth element containing ions in solution on the rate of electroless deposition, as well as on the P and B contents in the case of alloys such as Ni-P and Ni-B. 

Rajagopalan etal. [4] reported the synthesis of sulphonated polyetherimide and subsequent synthesis of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMC) by depositing platinum on both sides of the polymer membrane by electroless plating process for use in actuators. The TGA and NMR analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of sulfonic groups in the polymer backbone. The content of sulfur in the polymer membrane was measured to be 4.68% by EDX analysis and the degree of sulfonation could also be controlled. SEM micrographs of the composite membrane also confirmed the uniform formation of small platinum particles on the surface of polymer membrane as shown in Figure 1.5. The thickness of... 

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