Abstract

Microstructures of electrochemically deposited copper films on porous silicon

Author(s): Fu-fang Zhou, Bao-gaiZhai, Yuan Ming Huang

In the aqueous solution of copper (II) chloride, metallic copper films have been electrochemically deposited onto the rough surfaces of porous silicon. Employing the scanning electron microscopy, we have characterized the surface morphology of the electrochemically deposited porous silicon films and then investigated the microstructures of the electrochemically deposited copper films on porous silicon. Our quantitative analysis indicates that the electrochemical deposition can smooth the originally rough surfaces of porous silicon films. Depending on the conditions of the electrochemical deposition, micrometer-sized copper columns, copper shoots and copper pillars can be grown out of themicropores of the porous silicon films while micrometer-sized copper triangles, copper seaweeds and copper flowers have been observed on the smooth bed of the deposited copper crystals.