The electrodeposition conditions required to obtain a planar growth of tin on a NiP sublayer have been investigated. This planar growth is a prerequisite for obtaining compositionally modulated multilayers of good quality. In that respect potentiodynamic and potentiochronometric measurements were done and coupled to a morphological and compositional characterization. The efficiency of a brightener to enhance the planar growth of tin seemed to be limited by an adsorption-related effect in the case of tin electrodeposition on phosphorous containing substrates.