Vapour-phase deposition of copper by the iodide process

Abstract

The rate of deposition of copper on an electrically heated filament, by the decomposition of copper(I) iodide, has been determined by measuring the rate of change of conductance of the growing filament. This rate is found to be linear with respect to time and to be controlled by the transport of iodine away from the filament. A thermodynamic and kinetic model requires the rate to be dependent upon the equilibrium dissociation pressure of iodine at the filament and the geometry of the system, and the results are consistent with this.