Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.14773/cst.2022.21.2.89

A Newly Developed Non-Cyanide Electroless Gold Plating Method Using Thiomalic Acid as a Complexing Agent and 2-Aminoethanethiol as a Reducing Agent  

Han, Jae-Ho (ECtech Co.,Ltd)
Lee, Jae-Bong (School of Advanced Materials Engineering, Kookmin University)
Van Phuong, Nguyen (MSC Co., Ltd.)
Kim, Dong-Hyun (MSC Co., Ltd.)
Publication Information
Corrosion Science and Technology / v.21, no.2, 2022 , pp. 89-99 More about this Journal
Abstract
A versatile method for performing non-cyanide electroless gold plating using thiomalic acid (TMA) as a complexing agent and 2-aminoethanethiol (AET) as a reducing agent was investigated. It was found that TMA was an excellent complexing agent for gold. It can be used in electroless gold plating baths at a neutral pH with a high solution stability, makes it a potential candidate to replace conventional toxic cyanide complex. It was found that one gold atomic ion could bind to two TMA molecules to form the [2TMA-Au+] complex in a solution. AET can be used as a reducing agent in electroless gold plating solutions. The highest current density was obtained at electrode rotation rate of 250 to 500 rpm based on anodic and cathodic polarization curves with the mixed potential theory. Increasing AET concentration, pH, and temperature significantly increased the anodic polarization current density and shifted the plating potential toward a more negative value. The optimal gold ion concentration to obtain the highest current density was 0.01 M. The cathodic current was higher at a lower pH and a higher temperature. The current density was inversely proportional to TMA concentration.
Keywords
Electroless gold; Non-cyanide gold; Thiomalic acid; 2-Aminoethanethiol;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 R. J. Morrissey, A versatile non-cyanide gold plating system, Plating and Surface Finishing, 80, 75 (1993). https://www.nmfrc.org/pdf/10493075.pdf
2 Y. Okinaka and M. Hoshino, Some Recent Topics in Gold Plating for Electronics Applications, Gold Bulletin, 31, 3 (1998). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF03215469   DOI
3 T. Osaka, Y.Okinaka, J. Sasano, and M. Kato, Development of new electrolytic and electroless gold plating processes for electronics applications, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, 7, 425 (2006). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stam.2006.05.003   DOI
4 H. O. Ali and I. R. Christie, A review of electroless gold deposition processes, Gold Bulletin, 17, 118 (1984). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214674   DOI
5 H. Honma, Plating technology for electronics packaging, Electrochimica Acta, 47, 75 (2001). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-4686(01)00591-6   DOI
6 F. H. Reid, W. Goldie and E. W. Brooman, Gold Plating Technology, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 122, 188Ca (1975). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2134304   DOI
7 P. Wilkinson, Understanding gold plating, Gold Bulletin, 19, 75 (1986). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214646   DOI
8 Y. Okinaka, Electroless Gold Plating, Journal of The Surface Finishing Society of Japan, 42, 1077 (1991). Doi: https://doi.org/10.4139/sfj.42.1077   DOI
9 K. Wang, R. Beica, and N. Brown, Proc. IEEE/CPMT/SEMI 29th International lectronics Manufacturing Technology Symposium (IEEE Cat. No. 04CH37585), pp. 242-246, IEEE (2004).
10 Y. Okinaka and M. Kato, Electroless deposition of gold, pp. 483 - 498, Wiley-VCH, Milan (2010).
11 T. Inoue, S. Ando, H. Okudaira, J. Ushio, A. Tomizawa, H. Takehara, T. Shimazaki, H. Yamamoto, and H.Yokono, Proc. 45th Electronic Components and Technology Conf., pp. 1059 - 1067, IEEE (1995).
12 M. Huang, X. Li, J. Xia, X. Li, W. Qiu, G. Zhang, R. Sun, and Y. Mu, Proc. 2017 18th International Conference on Electronic Packaging Technology (ICEPT) Conf., pp. 1173 - 1178, IEEE (2017).
13 T. Vorobyova, S. Poznyak, A. Rimskaya, and O. Vrublevskaya, Electroless gold plating from a hypophosphite-dicyanoaurate bath, Surface and coatings technology, 176, 327 (2004). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0257-8972(03)00744-8   DOI
14 Y. Sato, T. Osawa, K. Kaieda, and K. Kobayakawa, Cyanide-free electroless gold plating from a bath containing disulfitoaurate and thiourea or its derivatives, Plating and surface finishing, 81, 74 (1994).
15 T. Takeuchi, Y. Kohashi, D-H Kim, H. Nawafune, M. Tanikubo, and S. Mizumoto, Electroless Gold Plating Using L-cysteine as Reducing Agent & its Deposition Mechanism, Plating and surface finishing, 90, 56 (2003).
16 T. Green, M.-J. Liew, and S. Roy, Electrodeposition of Gold from a Thiosulfate-Sulfite Bath for Microelectronic Applications, Journal of the electrochemical society, 150, C104 (2003). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.1541006   DOI
17 K. Vasilev, T. Zhu, G. Glasser, W. Knoll, and M. Kreiter, Preparation of Gold Nanoparticles in an Aqueous Medium Using 2-Mercaptosuccinic Acid as Both Reduction and Capping Agent, Journal of nanoscience and nanotechnology, 8, 2062 (2008). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1166/jnn.2008.057   DOI
18 A. M. Sullivan and P. A. Kohl, The autocatalytic deposition of gold in nonalkaline, gold thiosulfate electroless bath, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 142, 2250 (1995). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2044282   DOI
19 G. O. Mallory and J. B. Hajdu, Electroless plating: fundamentals and applications, p. 401, William Andrew, Florida (1990).
20 C. G. Anderson, Alkaline sulfide gold leaching kinetics, Minerals Engineering, 92, 248 (2016). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mineng.2016.01.009   DOI
21 M. I. Jeffrey and A. Angstetra, The Effect of Additives on the Electroless Deposition of Gold from a Thiosulfate-Ascorbic Acid Bath, ECS Transactions, 2, 267 (2006). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2196016   DOI
22 M. Kato, K. Niikura, S. Hoshino, and I. Ohno, Electrochemical Behavior of Electroless Gold Plating with Ascorbic Acid as a Reducing Agent, Journal of The Surface Finishing Society of Japan, 42, 729 (1991). Doi: https://doi.org/10.4139/sfj.42.729   DOI
23 H.K.Lee, D.H.Kim, D.K. Han, I.J.Son, Practical Surface Treatment Technology Series, Electroless Plating, 3, 44 (2014).
24 Y. Okinaka, An Electrochemical Study of Electroless Gold?Deposition Reaction, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 120, 739 (1973). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2403548   DOI
25 G. Corthey, L. J. Giovanetti, J. M. Ramallo-Lopez, E. Zelaya, A. A. Rubert, G. A. Benitez, F. G. Requejo, M. H. Fonticelli, and R. C. Salvarezza, Synthesis and Characterization of Gold@Gold(I)-Thiomalate Core@Shell Nanoparticles, ACS nano, 4, 3413 (2010). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/nn100272q   DOI
26 A. Bard, Standard potentials in aqueous solution, p. 313, Routledge, New York (2017). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1201/9780203738764   DOI
27 A. J. Bard, G. Inzelt, and F. Scholz, Electrochemical Dictionary, p. 482, Springer Science & Business Media, Berlin (2008). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74598-3   DOI
28 W. Riedel, Electroless nickel plating, ASM International (1991).
29 D. Baudrand and J. Bengston, Electroless plating processes, Metal finishing, 93, 55 (1995). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0026-0576(95)99502-2   DOI
30 D. J. LeBlanc, R. W. Smith, Z. Wang, H. E. Howard-Lock, and C. J. Lock, Thiomalate complexes of gold(I) : preparation, characterization and crystal structures of 1:2 gold to thiomalate complexes, Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions, 18, 3263 (1997). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1039/A700827I   DOI
31 I. Ohno, Electrochemistry of electroless plating, Materials Science and Engineering : A, 146, 33 (1991). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0921-5093(91)90266-P   DOI
32 M. Kato and Y. Okinaka, Some recent developments in non-cyanide gold plating for electronics applications, Gold Bulletin, 37, 37 (2004). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03215515   DOI
33 H. Nawafune, K. Shiroguchi, M. Tanikubo, S. Mizumoto, Y. Kohashi, and T. Takeuchi, Autocatalytic Electroless Silver Deposition Using 2-Aminoethanethiol as Reducing Agent, Journal of The Surface Finishing Society of Japan, 50, 928 (1999). Doi: https://doi.org/10.4139/sfj.50.928   DOI
34 M. L. Goldberger and K. M. Watson, Collision theory, p. 32, Courier Corporation, New York (2004).
35 J. Hu, W. Li, J. Chen, X. Zhang, and X. Zhao, Novel plating solution for electroless deposition of gold film onto glass surface, Surface and Coatings Technology, 202, 2922 (2008). Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfcoat.2007.10.026   DOI