Nonuniform Current Distribution and Thickness during Electrodeposition onto Resistive Substrates

The interaction of electrode and electrolyte resistances during plating onto resistive substrates is investigated. Following presentation of an asymptotic treatment for the estimation of current distributions on highly resistive substrates, more general cases are examined by numerical calculation to illustrate the influence of counterelectrode position, Tafel kinetics, and mass‐transfer limitations. The calculations are compared with approximate models presented in the literature or developed in this study in order to determine under which conditions they are applicable. The temporal evolution of the current distribution and conductance during deposit growth is investigated, and an approximate method for the determination of the variation in deposit thickness with time is presented.