The electrodeposition, magnetic and electrical characterisation of Palladium–Nickel alloys

A process for electrodepositing PdNi alloys and subsequent electrical and magnetic characterisations are reported. PdNi alloys are deposited on 0.019–0.021 Ω cm and 1–2 Ω cm n-type Silicon from a bath of Pd–ethylenediamine dichloride and Ni sulphate. Compositional analysis of films deposited at multiple deposition potentials from different bath concentrations showed that film composition can be estimated from the composition of the bath and the deposition potential used. This allows deposition of films with a range of Ni content from the same bath using different deposition potentials. The deposited films form excellent Schottky barriers on 1–2 Ω cm Si with leakage currents of the order of μA/cm2 and a difference of about six orders of magnitude between forward and reverse bias currents. Films with Ni concentrations above 30% are observed to be ferromagnetic at room temperature and their saturation magnetisation is linearly correlated with the Ni content in the film.

► We examine PdNi alloy electrodeposition and characterise the deposited films.
► Alloy composition can be controlled using bath composition and deposition potential.
► Electrodeposition forms excellen PdNi–Si Schottky barriers.
► PdNi alloy films are found to be ferromagnetic for even low Ni content.
► The strength of the ferromagnetism increases with Ni content.