Interfacial Velocity in Electrochemical Deposition and the Hecker Transition

Abstract
In the thin-cell electrochemical deposition of metals the interfacial velocity is shown, in the regime dominated by migration transport, to match the drift velocity of the counterion. The interfacial velocity is predicted to be independent of concentration to leading order and the deposit density is related to that of the electrolyte by the transport number of the counterion. Hecker-like pattern transitions occur when an acid front migrating in from the anode meets the deposit. The deposit radius at the transition is predicted to depend only on the ratio of ion mobilities.