The Lattice Spacings of Thin Electrodeposits of Cobalt and Nickel on a Copper Single Crystal

An electron diffraction investigation has been made of the lattice spacings of cobalt and nickel electrodeposited on to a copper single crystal. By the use of radioactive cobalt to measure the thickness of electrodeposits, it is shown that no continuous metal deposition occurs at cathode current density less than 90 μA cm -2 . At current densities greater than this value, oriented cobalt is deposited. The results for nickel are similar and the critical current density is 100 μA cm -2 . The results show that where cobalt and nickel deposited they have their normal lattice spacings. Previous claims that these metals form pseudomorphic layers have been re-interpreted without assumption.