Orientation-controlled nanotwinned copper prepared by electrodeposition

• Highly-textured nanotwinned Cu (nt-Cu) films were prepared by pulse electrodeposition.
• The orientation of twins can be controlled from the horizontal to the vertical direction to the growth direction by adjusting the growth potential and the pulse-off time.
• Control of nanotwins in Cu electrodeposits will offer further possibilities for engineering materials with a desired property.

ABSTRACTHighly-textured nanotwinned Cu (nt-Cu) films with different twin orientations were prepared by pulse electrodeposition in an acidic Cu sulfate bath containing a combination of conventional bath additives. We found that the orientation of nanotwins is dependent on the deposition potential. Copper deposits with horizontally oriented nanotwins were formed at an on-potential of -0.2 V vs. saturated calomel electrode (SCE), while deposits with vertically oriented nanotwins are obtained at -0.6 V vs. SCE. For horizontally oriented nt-Cu, the twin spacing was found to decrease with an increase of pulse-off time, accompanied by a decrease in the number of stacking faults that are vertical or inclined to the horizontal direction. The findings offer the possibility of more flexible engineering of nanotwin structure in Cu electrodeposits.

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