The internal stress in chromium deposits plated using a sulphate catalyst was determined using a bent cathode method. Chromium deposits exhibited a high internal tensile stress which decreased with increasing deposit thickness. Surface structures and microcrack patterns were studied using secondary electron and y-modulation techniques and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Y-modulation images revealed some three-dimensional information about microcracks. AFM analysis provided quantitative information about microcrack widths and depths.