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 Fe70Co30, 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.