A novel strategy for activation technique for 6H-SiC substrates in electroless Ni-P plating processes
Hossein Ahmadian, Tianfeng Zhou, Weijia Guo, Yu Qian, A.M. Sadoun, A. Fathy, A. Wagih
Abstract
This study proposes a novel iron wire activation method for electroless Ni-P plating on 6H-SiC substrates, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional metal activation techniques, focusing on the surface roughness effect on the microhardness and Ni-P plating efficiency of 6H-SiC substrates. This experimental approach reveals insights into the relationship between substrate morphology and plating characteristics. It is found that the plating thickness (33.82 μm) of the non-polished substrates closely matched the expected (33.26 μm), with a deposition rate of 6.65 μm/h, which underscores the precision regulation of the plating process. In contrast, despite the faster deposition rate of 9.20 μm/h of the polished S500 substrate, it exhibited a minor thickness discrepancy, suggesting a saturation point in the deposition dynamics on fully polished surfaces. The research additionally sheds light on the adhesion characteristics of the plated layers, particularly emphasizing the role of surface roughness. Remarkably, non-polished substrates demonstrated better adhesion, categorized as HF3, indicating a significantly stronger bond compared to the polished substrates, which were categorized as HF4 to HF6. This distinction in adhesion categories underlines the critical influence of substrate morphology on the quality of the Ni-P layer's adherence. • Novel Activation Technique for 6H-SiC Substrates in Electroless Ni-P Plating Processes. • Non-polished substrates demonstrated better adhesion compared to polished ones. • The influence of substrate morphology on the quality of the Ni-P layer's adherence is critical.