Development of a new electroplating solution for electrodeposition of Au–Co alloys

A new acidic electroplating solution has been developed for depositing of Au–Co alloys over a wide range of current densities (5–60 A dm− 2). The solution consisted of Au cyanide and Co salt as well as oxalate–citrate buffer, brightener and an organic additive. A five variable Doelhert experimental design has been applied to examine the effects of the different compounds and their concentrations on the performances of plating electrolyte (cathodic efficiency and deposition rate) as well as on the composition of the Au–Co coating. After optimization, the Au–Co electrodeposit was characterized by spectroscopy techniques (Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)), before and after thermal ageing.