Anodic dissolution of copper single crystal (100)​, (110)​, and (111) faces in acid copper sulfate bath in presence of thioglycolic acid

Dissoln. of Cu single crystal faces, viz. (100)​, (110) and (111)​, in highly purified acid CuSO4 bath produces characteristic etch figures at c. ds. 2-​20 mA​/cm2. On (100) face square pyramidal pits are obsd., on (110) face ridges appear and on (111) face triangular pyramidal pits are noticed. These etch figures are affected by the presence of thioglycolic acid in acid CuSO4 bath. The reciprocity between growth and dissoln. is established. An attempt is made to explain the mechanism of dissoln. process from current vs. potential plots. The changes obsd. in etch figures are attributed to adsorption of thioglycolic acid on the substrate. Thioglycolic acid affects the anodic dissoln. in almost the same way as it does the growth