Direct-Write Printing Copper-Nickel (Cu/Ni) Alloy with Controlled Composition from a Single Electrolyte Using...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Existing metal printing methods are insufficient for fabricating functional devices requiring specific alloy properties.
• High-quality, crystalline alloys are crucial for the performance of devices like thermocouples and sensors.
• The demand for advanced alloy printing processes is driven by the need for functional micro- and mesoscale devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a novel co-electrodeposition technique for printing single-phase solid solution nanocrystalline copper/nickel (Cu/Ni) alloys.
• To demonstrate controllable alloy compositions (Cu100Ni0 to Cu19Ni81) from a single electrolyte.
• To showcase the fabrication of a functional thermocouple using the developed printing process.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a co-electrodeposition technique to print Cu/Ni alloys.
• Employed a single electrolyte to achieve various controllable compositions.
• Characterized the printed alloy for its crystalline structure, density, and composition.

Main Results:

• Successfully printed single-phase solid solution nanocrystalline Cu/Ni alloys with compositions ranging from Cu100Ni0 to Cu19Ni81.
• The printed alloy exhibited a nanocrystalline structure (<35 nm), was continuous, dense, and non-porous.
• The material showed remarkable mechanical and magnetic properties without post-annealing, and a functional thermocouple was fabricated.

Conclusions:

• The co-electrodeposition process enables the printing of high-quality, nanocrystalline Cu/Ni alloys with tunable compositions.
• This method produces dense, defect-free alloys with excellent properties, suitable for functional device fabrication.
• The process offers a versatile platform for creating functional devices and facilitating alloy characterization studies.