Stimulation of rare earths inn quartz optical fiber surface metallization by electroless plating and electroplating

This research aims to use several kind of rare earth oxides, such as Nd2O3, Yb2O3, Ce2O3 and La2O3, to improve the electroless plating and electroplating processes for surface metallization of quartz optical fiber (silicon fiber) for its practical uses. The effects of the rare earth oxides on the deposition rate of Ni-P-B, the stability of the plating solution and the surface property of the film were investigated and the comparisons of their behaviours were made. The effects of rare earth oxide of La2O3 on the hardness and surface property of the Ni film prepared by electroplating process were studied. The surface morphonogies, compositions and hardness of the Ni-P-B and Ni films were characterized and analyzed by SEM, MSM, ICP and DIMHM, respectively. The experimental results showed that Ce2O3 with the concentration of 4 mg.L-1 was the best one among the four rare earth oxides with suitable concentrations in increasing the deposition rate, enhancing the stability of the electroless plating solution and improving the surface property of the Ni-P-B film. The improvements of the hardness and surface property of the Ni film prepared by electroplating with adding La2O3 were discovered. No obvious influences of Ce2O3 and La2O3 on the compositions of Ni-P-B and Ce free in the Ni-P-B film were found because of its much more nagative deposition potential than those of the used reducing agents in this experiment. The total diameter of the quartz optical fiber with deposited Ni-P-B film and Ni film was about 1.7 mm, which could be satisfactorily for the practical uses of quartz optical fiber in many fields.