Tantalum electrodeposition using a nanoporous anodic alumina template and a nanostructured gold/nickel-chromium glass-ceramic substrate

Abstract

The electrodeposition and analysis of tantalum (Ta) nanotube arrays prepared from an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-1methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl) imide (BMP[Tf2N]), using a porous anodic alumina (PAA) template are newly presented. Free-standing and spatially separated tantalum nanotube arrays were achieved after selective etching of the PAA. The high-rate electrodeposition of the nanotube arrays took only 10 s and achieved approximately 70 atomic percent Ta metal. Superficial X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy supplemented by an argon ion etching and depth profiling has proven the presence of tantalum metal. Additionally, tantalum electrodeposition was attempted using a sputter-deposited gold coating on a planar glass-ceramic substrate as the working electrode. Pores emerged within the sputter-deposited gold layer as a side result of the Ta electrodeposition step. Nano-to submicrometer large pores were created due to a foreign element penetration into the gold and etching effect of fluorides contained in the ionic liquid solution.

The electrodeposition and analysis of tantalum (Ta) nanotube arrays prepared from an ionic liquid, 1-butyl-1methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl) imide (BMP[Tf2N]), using a porous anodic alumina (PAA) template are newly presented. Free-standing and spatially separated tantalum nanotube arrays were achieved after selective etching of the PAA. The high-rate electrodeposition of the nanotube arrays took only 10 s and achieved approximately 70 atomic percent Ta metal. Superficial X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy supplemented by an argon ion etching and depth profiling has proven the presence of tantalum metal. Additionally, tantalum electrodeposition was attempted using a sputter-deposited gold coating on a planar glass-ceramic substrate as the working electrode. Pores emerged within the sputter-deposited gold layer as a side result of the Ta electrodeposition step. Nano-to submicrometer large pores were created due to a foreign element penetration into the gold and etching effect of fluorides contained in the ionic liquid solution.