A review of reverse pulse plating techniques in the electrodeposition of magnetic alloys – Part 2

Magnetic materials are of great interest due to their unique properties, and both soft and hard magnetic materials are utilised in various applications such as energy harvesting, magnetic recording, and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems). Reverse pulse plating (RPP) has emerged as a viable fabrication technique to enable the miniaturisation of magnets based on transition metal alloys. In the first part of this review, the advantages in terms of mechanical properties and surface finishing of deposits produced by reverse pulse plating over other techniques were presented. This second part focuses on the state-of-the-art of hard magnetic materials such as Co-Ni-P or Co-Pt alloys and soft magnets like Permalloys (Ni-Fe) deposited through reverse pulse plating, highlighting how this technique can be used to tailor the crystalline structure of the material and reduce residual stresses. Reverse pulse plating was found beneficial in improving properties such as coercivity in soft magnetic materials and magnetic anisotropy in hard magnetic materials, even with increased film thickness. Notably, this technique combines the scalability and affordability of electrodeposition with the ability to produce crack-free, high aspect-ratio magnets while maintaining good magnetic properties.