Fabrication of fine pattern on an aluminum surface with pulsed YAG laser irradiation and subsequent nickel plating has been reported in two consecutive papers. The second paper studies nickel deposition on aluminum irradiated with a pulsed YAG laser, and pattern fabrication with nickel deposition.
Aluminum specimens covered with porous anodic oxide film were irradiated with a pulsed YAG laser in air and in Ni2+ ion solutions using a three dimensional stage controlled by computer, and then nickel was electrodeposited and studied potentiostatically as functions of cathode potential, Ec, Ni2+ ion concentration, CNi, and bath temperature, T.
Nickel was deposited only at the laser-irradiated area at potentials more negative than -0.8V (vs. sat. -AgCl/Ag), and deposition speeded up at higher CNi, T and more negative Ec. The current efficiency for nickel deposition was 95% between -1.10 and -1.40V. During cathodic polarization, cathodic current, ic, increased with time, tc, to reach a steady value at tc<1min for specimens laser-irradiated in the solution, whereas a longer period was needed to reach the steady value for the specimen irradiated in air. This suggests that thermal oxide films formed after anodic oxide film removal by laser irradiation in air inhibit nickel nuclei formation in the initial plating.
The Hokkaido University Symbol 7mm in size was drawn on aluminum with nickel plating lines with different widths between 50 and 200μm.
