High speed electroplating is popular because of its ability to mass produce interconnects for integrated circuit packages - especially copper pillar bumps, and micro-electroforming of components for micromachines. This technique is predominantly used for mass production of miniature components, while conventional technique is employed for electroplating of larger components.

If the high speed bath is aqueous based and used for electroplating larger components, then the large current densities may lead to large internal stresses due to hydrogen evolution, and high concentration of defects due to incorporation of additives. The initial equipment, and set up cost will be higher for high-speed plating. There are advantages also such as, masking may not be necessary by using flow nozzles, and selective alloy deposition is possible at specific locations.

dear Thomas Perrier,

the high speed increase the ionic and mass transfer through the solution leading to increase the rate of deposition. therefore, i think the solution speed related with the potential needed for the deposition. you can reduce the potential needed by increase the speed that why you see increasing in the current at the same potential.

Electroplating with high speed bath may increase the ionic transformation during the deposition process so that deposition rate will be high. But it doesn't mean that we need to use only high speed bath instead of normal bath. It depends on type of metal coating. the more ionic transformation during the process is the advantage but there is also one disadvantage with very high speed baths is that, it may cause turbulent flow in the electrolyte bath which creates cracks on the coating surface. So, better way to study the related literature and follow the optimize parameters to get uniform and better coatings.