Fractal growth of copper in a gel medium

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0038-1098(96)00326-2

Fractal growth of electrodeposited copper in a gel medium with different concentrations of copper ions has been studied. The fractal dimensions (d_f) show a periodic variation as a function of voltage with the values varying from 2.0to 1.75. The behaviour is explained on the basis of two mechanisms, viz. generalized diffusion limited aggregation and dielectric breakdown. Electron micrographs of the samples indicate that the clusters consist of metallic copper having dimensions in the range 6.2-20.8 nm. Metal particle size can be varied by changing the applied voltage.