Surface smoothing of copper by electropolishing
AssigneesSaudi Arabian Oil Company, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorsFayez Nasir Al-Rowaili, Mazen Khaled, Aqil Jamal, Sagheer A. Onaizi, Umer Zahid
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Abstract
A method for forming an atomically smooth surface on a copper electrode through electropolishing and the atomically smooth surface are provided. An exemplary method for forming an atomically smooth surface by electropolishing includes placing a copper foil in an electrolyte solution including ethylene glycol and phosphoric acid. The copper foil is coupled to a current source. Current is applied to the copper foil to electropolish the copper foil. The electropolishing is stopped when the electropolishing is completed
Claims20
A method for forming an atomically smooth surface by electropolishing, comprising:
- placing a copper foil in an electrolyte solution comprising about 0.2 molar (M) ethylene glycol and about 3 M phosphoric acid;
- coupling the copper foil to a current source;
- applying current to the copper foil to electropolish the copper foil;
- and
- stopping the electropolishing when the electropolishing is completed, wherein the copper foil has a surface roughness of about 3 nm.
(canceled)
A copper catalyst, comprising a surface smoothed by electropolishing, where the electropolishing is performed by:
- placing a surface of the copper catalyst in contact with an electrolyte solution comprising phosphoric acid and ethylene glycol;
- coupling the copper catalyst to a current source;
- applying current to the copper catalyst to electropolish the surface of the copper catalyst;
- and
- stopping the electropolishing when the electropolishing is complete.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.