Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


-----

Electroplating copper onto titanium

2003

I have a problem with electroplating copper on a glass substrate with titanium (0.5 microns) evaporated on it. I have tried with the same bath I use to electroplate copper on copper:

200 g/l CuSO4·5H2O
30 g/l K2SO4
30 g/l formic acid
Room temperature, 10 mA per square centimeter

I do not understand why the results were occasionally good, but now they are aways wrong. The layer of copper has very little adherence and is not homgeneous at all, because no copper is seen in the most of the surface. I have heart some comments about activating the titanium surface, firstly with NaOH and secondly with HCl; so as to use a bath with H2SO4. I have made some other attempts with this late conditions and I have appreciated some improvements, but the quality is still very poor. Would someone be so kind as to suggest me the better way to overcome this problem? Thank you very much.

Best wishes

Miguel González
Researcher, not directly in the finishing industry - Madrid, Spain

---

2003

Perhaps a batch of samples was Ti-coated at one time and are becoming more passive with age. Is it possible to directly follow the titanium coating with copper before removal from the vacuum system? Even with proper activation, titanium repassivates rapidly upon rinsing and transferring through air. See ASTM B481 and letter #13456 for plating onto titanium.

Ken Vlach [deceased]
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.
Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.