Effects of boric acid on hydrogen evolution and internal stress in films deposited from a nickel sulfamate bath

The effects of boric acid additions on the pH close to the electrode surface, on the hydrogen evolution reaction and on the internal stress in the plated films were studied for the high speed electroplating of nickel from a nickel sulfamate bath at a current density close to the nickel ion limiting current density. The study was carried out at 50 °C and pH 4.0 using a 1.55 M nickel sulfamate plating bath containing boric acid at concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.81 mol L−1. The variation of the internal strain in the plated nickel films was determined in situ using a resistance wire-type strain gauge fitted to the reverse side of the copper electrode substrate. The solution pH at a distance of 0.1 mm from the depositing nickel film was measured in situ using a miniature pH sensor assembly consisting of a thin wire-type antimony electrode and a Ag/AgCl/sat. KCl electrode housed in a thin Luggin capillary. The addition of boric acid was shown to effectively suppress the hydrogen evolution reaction at nickel electrodeposition rates (18.0 A dm−2) close to the limiting current density (~20 A dm−2). Consequently, the solution pH adjacent to the plating metal surface was maintained at a value close to that in the bulk solution and the development of high internal stresses in the deposited nickel films was avoided.