Fe–Co Films Electroplated From Glycine-Based Plating Baths

We have already reported electroplated Fe-Co films with low coercivity and high saturation magnetization prepared from citric acid-based plating baths. In the present study, we employed glycine as a complex agent for the electroplating of Fe-Co alloy films and investigated the effect of glycine on the magnetic properties of the Fe-Co films and the current efficiency of the plating process. The current efficiency improved by adding glycine, and high efficiency of over 95% was obtained. From the investigation of the efficiency for Fe and Co films, we found that Co is affected by glycine addition and resultantly variation of current efficiency for Fe-Co films depending on glycine concentration in the bath. From the evaluation of the magnetic properties, low coercivity was obtained around Fe ₇₀ Co ₃₀ , and this tendency was almost the same as that for the citric acid-based baths. From these results, we concluded that glycine is an attractive complex agent for obtaining Fe-Co films with good soft magnetic properties.