Electrolytic looping for forming layering in the deposit of a coating

Abstract

A method for depositing a metal onto a substrate including the steps of providing a plating bath including ions of the metal, positioning the substrate in the plating bath, positioning at least one counter electrode in the plating bath, performing a first electrolytic process for a predetermined first period of time, performing a second electrolytic process for a predetermined second period of time and looping between the first and second electrolytic processes to form a coating of the metal on the substrate.

1 . A method for depositing a metal onto a substrate comprising the steps of:
 providing a plating bath including ions of said metal;   positioning said substrate in said plating bath;   positioning at least one counter electrode in said plating bath;   performing a first electrolytic process for a predetermined first period of time;   performing a second electrolytic process for a predetermined second period of time; and   looping between said first electrolytic process and said second electrolytic process to form a coating of said metal on said substrate.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said metal is chromium. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said ions of said metal are chromium(III) ions. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a direct current process. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a pulse current process. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a pulse reverse current process. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said second electrolytic process is a direct current process. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said second electrolytic process is a pulse current process. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said second electrolytic process is a pulse reverse current process. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said coating has less than 50 cracks per centimeter formed continuously through said coating. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a direct current process and said second electrolytic process is at least one of a pulse current process and a pulse reverse current process. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a pulse current process and said second electrolytic process is at least one of a direct current process and a pulse reverse current process. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process is a pulse reverse current process and said second electrolytic process is at least one of a direct current process and a pulse current process. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first electrolytic process and said second electrolytic process are the same electrolytic process and said first electrolytic process and said second electrolytic process are separated by a predetermined off-time. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said coating has a thickness of about 1 to about 100 mils. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of said first and second electrolytic processes deposits a layer of said metal.