Characterization of Re-Ni films after the initial stages of electrodeposition

Re-Ni layers produced in the early stages of electrodeposition from citrate electrolytes were studied by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HR-XPS) and time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The deposition time was varied in the range of 2 to 300 seconds. The compositional heterogeneity of the thin Re-Ni alloys and the variations of their composition with deposition time, both in the bulk and on the surface, were shown. The results obtained are indicative of the occurrence of chemical reactions at short deposition times and are in agreement with our previous results obtained in studying the early stages of Re-Ni deposition by electrochemical techniques. The mechanism of the deposition process is discussed.