Optimization of Silver Mirror Reaction for Silver Coating

Abstract

The surface morphology and mass of a silver coating deposited on a glass substrate using silver mirror coating method were investigated as a function of the bath temperature, the glucose concentration used in the plating bath as a reducing agent, and the coating time necessary to obtain good coating quality. Using the optimum coating conditions of 10.8 ks deposition time and 0.2 °C temperature of the plating bath composed of 0.2 mol dm⁻³[Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺+0.12 mol dm⁻³ glucose, a smooth and uniform silver coating with ca. 150 nm thickness was obtained. Improved adhesion of the silver coat to the glass substrate was obtained by application of an etching pretreatment to the glass substrate using various etchants. A commercially available etchant containing (NH₄)HF₂ provides an especially strong anchor effect because it induces a considerably rough dissolution trace to the glass substrate.