Non-precious metal colloidal dispersions for electroless metal deposition
First Claim
1. An improved process for the preparation of non-conductor substrates for electroless metal or alloy plating thereon comprising contacting said substrate with a catalytic non-precious metal colloidal composition wherein said catalytic non-precious metal is the admixture of copper and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and iron and wherein said colloidal composition is formed by interaction of the metal ions with a precipitating agent and wherein said precipitating agent is selected from the group of hypophosphorus acid and its derivatives and hydroxyl ions.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Metallic surfaces are imparted to non-conductive or dielectric substrates by an electroless coating process comprising coating the surface of the substrate with a hydrous oxide colloid of non-precious metal ions preferably selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel and copper ions, reducing the selected metal ions to a reduced or zero valence state with a suitable reducing agent, and exposing the substrate to an electroless plating bath.
-
Citations
45 Claims
- 1. An improved process for the preparation of non-conductor substrates for electroless metal or alloy plating thereon comprising contacting said substrate with a catalytic non-precious metal colloidal composition wherein said catalytic non-precious metal is the admixture of copper and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, and iron and wherein said colloidal composition is formed by interaction of the metal ions with a precipitating agent and wherein said precipitating agent is selected from the group of hypophosphorus acid and its derivatives and hydroxyl ions.
-
8. An improved process for the metallization of non-conductor substrate by electroless plating thereon comprising
(a) contacting said substrate with a colloidal composition said composition comprised of a colloid of a catalytic non-precious metal wherein said metal is higher in the EMF series in comparison to said platable metal ion present in the electroless bath with said colloid reduced after the substrate has been treated to a lower or elemental state prior to the electroless plating build-up, and b) plating from an electroless bath comprising said platable metal ion.
-
12. An improved process of electroless metal deposition of dielectric substrates comprising the steps of,
(A) Coating the surface of the substrate with colloid of at least one non-precious elemental metal wherein said elemental metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, cobalt, iron and nickel and mixtures thereof, and (B) Immersing the substrate in an electroless plating composition.
-
16. An improved process for electroless plating of a non-conductor substrate comprising
(a) contacting the non-conductor with a colloidal catalytic composition of non-noble elemental metal and/or alloy thereof wherein said metal is catalytic for electroless metal initiation and further wherein said composition was previously contacted with water and air; - and subsequently (b) contacting the treated non-conductor with a composition comprising a reducing agent capable of interacting with the treated non-conductor and thereby rendering said non-conductor active for electroless build-up.
- View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
28. An improved process for the preparation of non-conductor substrates prior to electroless metal deposition comprising the steps of:
-
a. Coating the surface of the substrate with a colloidal composition comprising cuprous oxide, and b. Contacting the coated surface with a composition comprising a reducing agent capable of reducing the cuprous oxidation state to the metallic state.
-
-
29. An improved process for the preparation of non-conductor substrates for electroless plating thereon comprising the contacting of said substrate with a colloidal catalytic composition, said composition comprised of a colloid of a catalytic non-precious metal compound wherein said metal is higher in the EMF series in comparison to said platable metal ion(s) present in the electroless bath, and wherein said non-precious metal compound of said colloid is reduced to a lower or elemental state prior to the electroless plating build-up and wherein said colloidal composition is derived by the dispersion of a powder in a suitable medium.
-
30. An improved process for electroless plating a non-conductor substrate comprising the steps of
(a) contacting the non-conductor with a stabilized colloidal composition of non-noble metal selected from the group comprising hydrous oxides, metals and alloys and mixtures thereof and wherein said metal is catalytic for electroless plating initiation and further wherein said composition is derived by the dispersion of a powder in a suitable medium and is further permitted to be contacted with water and air, and (b) contacting the treated non-conductor with a composition comprising a reducing agent capable of interacting with the treated non-conductor and thereby rendering said non-conductor active for electroless build-up.
-
33. An improved process for preparing dielectric substrates for electroless plating comprising
a. coating the surface of a dielectric substrate to be plated with a hydrous oxide colloid of a non-precious metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, nickel and copper and alloys of said metals, and mixtures thereof, and at least one colloid stabilizer, and b. reducing said metal to a lower or zero valence state with a chemical reducing agent to effect a catalytic surface receptive to electroless plating initiation.
-
40. An improved process for the electroless plating of dielectric substrates comprising
a. coating the surface of a dielectric substrate with a hydrous oxide colloid of a non-precious metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, iron and cobalt and alloys of said metals, and mixtures thereof and further containing at least one colloid stabilizer; -
b. reducing the valence state of said metal to effect a catalytic surface receptive to electroless plating; and c. contacting the catalytic surface with an electroless plating bath. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44)
-
-
45. An improved process for preparing dielectric substrates for electroless plating comprising
a. coating the surface of a dielectric substrate to be plated with a hydrous oxide colloid of a non-precious metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, iron, nickel and copper and alloys of said metals, and mixtures thereof and at least one colloid stabilizer; -
b. rinsing said substrate to remove excess colloid; and c. reducing said metal to a lower or zero valence state with a chemical reducing agent to render the surface catalytic for electroless plating.
-
Specification