Direct Electrodeposition of Tungsten from an Aqueous Electrolyte

Electrodeposition of tungsten films from aqueous solution has been successfully demonstrated. A superhigh concentration of acetates, in conjunction with citrate as a chelating agent, enables the deposition. Electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are used to characterize the morphology, grain structure, and the oxidation state of the deposited films. The as-deposited W films exhibit an amorphous structure, which recrystallizes into body-centered cubic W upon thermal annealing. While the film surface has a significant amount of oxide, the bulk film is predominantly metallic tungsten.