In Situ Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging of Electrodeposition of Mixed Layers of Copper/Cuprous Oxide

In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) was applied to the dynamic characterization of the growth of mixed layers obtained by galvanostatic electrodeposition from alkaline Cu(II) lactate solutions. The correlation of the cathode potential profile with the average topographic profiles computed from the AFM images provided evidence for two transitions in the deposit growth during which the average growth velocity underwent rapid accelerations, the first one corresponding to zero interfacial concentration (Sand's time) and the second one to the emergence of the oscillations by a smooth transition. Despite its temporal resolution, the AFM technique could not capture the details of a single oscillation, but it proved to be quite adequate for tracking the general evolution of the electrode surface.