Method for the production of alloys possessing high elastic modulus and improved magnetic properties by electrodeposition

Claim 1

A method for the electrodeposition of an ordered alloy consisting of substantially pure layers of one metal alternating with substantially pure layers of another metal, comprising: forming an electrodeposition bath in an electrodeposition apparatus including an anode and a cathode, said bath comprising a solution of two metals chosen such that the redox potential gap between the more noble metal and the less noble metal is at least 0.1 V, wherein the concentration of the more noble metal ion in said bath is in the range of 0.001 to 1.0 M and the concentration of the less noble metal ion in said bath is substantially greater than that of the more noble metal ion; applying a potential to the cathode of said both at a first value which is selected so as to be between the potentials at which the metals begin to deposit under the conditions used, for a sufficient time to deposit less than 90 angstroms thickness of substantially pure more noble metal; changing the potential applied to the cathode to a second value which is selected so as to be substantially more negative than the potential at which the less noble metal begins to deposit under the conditions used, said potential being sufficiently negative that the total current density is so much higher than the limiting current density for the more noble metal that the percent of more noble metal in the less noble metal layer approaches zero, thereby permitting deposition of substantially pure less noble metal, said potential being applied for a sufficient time to deposit less than 90 angstroms thickness of said substantially pure less noble metal; and repeating said applying and changing steps for a predetermined number of cycles to obtain a corresponding number of layers of said metals.

Claim 2

A method for the electrodeposition of an ordered alloy consisting of substantially pure layers of one metal alternating with substantially pure layers of another metal, comprising: forming an electrodeposition bath in an electrodeposition apparatus including an anode and a cathode, said bath comprising a solution of two metals chosen such that the redox potential gap between the more noble metal and the less noble metal is at least 0.1 V, wherein the concentration of the more noble metal ion in said bath is in the range of 0.001 to 1.0 M and the concentration of the less noble metal ion in said bath is substantially greater than that of the more noble metal ion; applying a potential to the cathode of said both at a first value which is selected so as to be between the potentials at which the metals begin to deposit under the conditions used, for a sufficient time to deposit less than 90 angstroms thickness of substantially pure more noble metal; changing the potential applied to the cathode to a second value which is selected so as to be substantially more negative than the potential at which the less noble metal begins to deposit under the conditions used, said potential being sufficiently negative that the total current density is so much higher than the limiting current density for the more noble metal that the percent of more noble metal in the less noble metal layer approaches zero, thereby permitting deposition of substantially pure less noble metal, said potential being applied for a sufficient time to deposit less than 90 angstroms thickness of said substantially pure less noble metal; and repeating said applying and changing steps for a predetermined number of cycles to obtain a corresponding number of layers of said metals.