Electrochemical nucleation and growth of Fe, Pt and Fe–Pt on n-type Si (001)

Electrodeposition of Fe, Pt and Fe–Pt on n-type Si (001) wafer was studied. The electrochemical nucleation and growth mechanism was investigated using conventional electrochemical techniques and morphological examinations. The current transients recorded during potentiostatic deposition were compared with the non-dimensional plots predicted by the Scharifker-Hills theory indicating that there exists a progressive nucleation mechanism for the electrodeposition of iron and platinum on the silicon substrate. Using different methods it was shown that the diffusion coefficient of iron ions is about three times larger than that of platinum ions. All single and multi-component system studied reveal 3D multiple nucleation with diffusion controlled growth