Characterization of electrochemically deposited Cu–Ni black coatings

Abstract Electrochemically deposited Cu–Ni black coatings on molybdenum substrate from ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) bath solution are shown to exhibit good optical properties ( α =0.94, e = 0.09). The deposit is characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cu is present in metallic and +2 oxidation states in the as-prepared Cu–Ni black coating, whereas Ni 2+ as well as Ni 3+ species are observed in the same coating. Cu and Ni are observed in their metallic state after 10 and 20 min sputtering. X-ray initiated Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) of Cu and Ni also agrees well with XPS investigations.