Analytic procedure for the evaluation of copper intermetallic diffusion in electroplated gold coatings with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis

A method for the determination of the intermetallic diffusion coefficient in the Cu–Au system is described based on energy dispersive X-ray techniques. XRF and EDS analysis were used to measure the thickness of the electroplated gold coating and the copper diffused through it, respectively. This information was used to obtain the diffusion coefficient through an equation based on Fick's law. Colour measurements and metallographic section analysis of the samples were also performed to evaluate alternative methods for a qualitative determination of diffusion rate. The thickness of the gold layer was chosen in agreement with what is used in decorative and functional applications (<1 μm). The measurements were performed on samples heated in a range of temperatures between 100 °C and 200 °C from 12 to 96 h. The results obtained follow a linear trend between the logarithm of the diffusion coefficient and the inverse of the temperature and are in line with the values found in the literature.