EP0248683A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Composition and process for the electrolytic coating of circuit boards without an electroless metal coating
Assignee: Apt Advanced Plating Technologies
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Filing: 1987-06-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-06-05
Abstract
Abstract A process and composition are disclosed for directly electrometallizing a non-conductive substrate such as the non conductive surfaces of a circuit board and to directly effect through hole plating and/or form circuits on the boards without employing an electroless metal coating. A process and composition is also described for depositing metals on a non-conductive substrate by using the reductive capacity of hydrogen in the presence of a metal catalyst on the substrate. The metal catalyst is combined with hydrogen that is generated electrolytically from a protic bath. The metal catalyst combined with hydrogen is contacted with a metal salt. The metal salt may be combined with the protic bath so that the hydrogen that is generated electrolytically combines with the metal catalyst and the metal salt is converted to a metal coating on the substrate. A process is also disclosed for selectively electrometallizing a non-conductive substrate such as the non-conductive surfaces of a circuit board and to directly effect through hole plating and/or form circuits on the boards without employing an electroless metal coating. A photoresist is employed in the process which is exposed, developed and neutralized prior to electrometallizing the substrate. Selectivity is obtained by neutralization.
Inventors
- 👤 Abraham Moshe Holtzman
- 👤 Joseph Relis
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:01
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/40; H05K3/42; H05K3/423; H05K3/424; C; C25; C25D; C25D5/00; C25D5/54; C25D5/56; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/07; H05K2203/0703; H05K2203/0716; H05K2203/12; H05K2203/122; H05K3/425; H05K3/427
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A catalyst composition comprising a metal catalyst for use in a process for depositing metals on a non-conductive substrate by using the reductive capacity of hydrogen in the presence of said metal catalyst on such substrate, said metal catalyst being capable of combining with hydrogen where hydrogen is generated electrolytically from a protic bath, said metal catalyst being in association with a stabilizer and optionally a promoter selected from the group consisting of: (a) organic hydroxy compounds (b) surfactants (c) thiourea compounds (d) amino acids (e) polycarboxylic acids and (f) water soluble polymers or combinations thereof
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
A catalyst composition comprising a metal catalyst for use in a process for depositing metals on a non-conductive substrate by using the reductive capacity of hydrogen in the presence of said metal catalyst on such substrate, said metal catalyst being capable of combining with hydrogen where hydrogen is generated electrolytically from a protic bath, said metal catalyst being in association with a stabilizer and optionally a promoter selected from the group consisting of: (a) organic hydroxy compounds (b) surfactants (c) thiourea compounds (d) amino acids (e) polycarboxylic acids and (f) water soluble polymers or combinations thereof
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The catalyst composition of Claim 1 where said stabilizer minimizes said metal catalyst sensitivity to water, said stabilizer comprising a metal salt.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The composition of Claim 2 where said stabilizer is a water-soluble stable salt selected from the group consisting of salts of magnesium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, manganese, cobalt, nickel, silver, zinc, cadmium, aluminum, gallium, indium and thallium and mixtures thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composition of Claim 2 where said stabilizer is selected from a member of the group consisting of the salts of aluminum, titanium, zirconium and hafnium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The composition of Claim 1 where said stabilizer comprises an aluminum halide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The composition of Claim 3 where said catalyst is based on a metal from Group VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The composition of Claim 6 where said stabilizer forms complexes with the Group VIII metals or tin or both.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of Claims 6 or 7 further comprising a tin protective colloid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
61 words
A metal electroplating bath for use in conjunction with a metal catalyst that can combine with hydrogen generated electrolytically in said bath comprising (a) a metal salt; (b) an acid; (c) an adjuvant selected from the group consisting of (i) polyhydroxy cyclic compounds; (ii) acetylenic alcohols and their derivatives; (iii) acetylenic compounds; (iv) water soluble polymers and; (d) a halogen ion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
A metal electroplating bath for use in conjunction with a metal catalyst that can combine with hydrogen generated electrolytically in said bath comprising (a) a metal salt; (b) an acid; (c) an adjuvant selected from the group consisting of (i) polyhydroxy cyclic compounds; (ii) acetylenic alcohols and their derivatives; (iii) acetylenic compounds; (iv) water soluble polymers and; (d) a halogen ion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
73 words
The composition of Claim 9 where said polyhydroxy compound comprises a cyclic polyhydroxy compound having a six carbon atom ring and from 2 to about 3 hydroxy groups on said ring and a cyclic hydroxy compound having a 6 carbon atom ring and one hydroxy group on said ring, said second cyclic hydroxy compoud being present in an amount of from 0 to about 80% of said polyhydroxy compound on a molar basis.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said polyhydroxy compound is selected from the group consisting of resorcinol and pyrogallol and said cyclic hydroxy compound comprises phenol.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said polyhydroxy compound comprises a nitrogen heterocyclic compound having from 1 to about 2 nitrogen atoms.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said hydroxy compound comprises 2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylpyrimidine.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said adjuvant comprises propargyl alcohol and its derivatives.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
13 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said adjuvant is a water soluble polymer.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
11 words
The composition of Claim 10 where said adjuvant is a hydroxyalkylcellulose.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
153 words
A process for depositing metals on a non-conductive substrate by employing the reductive capacity of hydrogen in the presence of a metal catalyst on the substrate, said metal catalyst being capable of combining with hydrogen that is generated electrolytically from a protic bath comprising: (a) contacting said substrate with said metal catalyst to obtain a metal substrate that is combined with said catalyst; (b) contacting said substrate combined with said metal catalyst with a protic bath, (c) electrolytically generating hydrogen from said protic bath in an amount sufficient to combine with said metal catalyst and thereby obtain a metal catalyst combined with said hydrogen on said substrate (d) contacting said metal catalyst combined with hydrogen on said substrate with a metal salt for a time sufficient to reduce said metal salt to a metal coating on said substrate said metal catalyst being combined with a stabilizer to reduce said catalyst's sensitivity to water.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
153 words
A process for depositing metals on a non-conductive substrate by employing the reductive capacity of hydrogen in the presence of a metal catalyst on the substrate, said metal catalyst being capable of combining with hydrogen that is generated electrolytically from a protic bath comprising: (a) contacting said substrate with said metal catalyst to obtain a metal substrate that is combined with said catalyst; (b) contacting said substrate combined with said metal catalyst with a protic bath, (c) electrolytically generating hydrogen from said protic bath in an amount sufficient to combine with said metal catalyst and thereby obtain a metal catalyst combined with said hydrogen on said substrate (d) contacting said metal catalyst combined with hydrogen on said substrate with a metal salt for a time sufficient to reduce said metal salt to a metal coating on said substrate said metal catalyst being combined with a stabilizer to reduce said catalyst's sensitivity to water.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of Claim 17 comprising applying a photoresist to said substrate, and exposing and developing said photoresist to form a circuit pattern on said substrate prior to coating said substrate with said metal coating.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of Claim 18 where said step of electrolytically coating said catalyzed substrate further comprises polarizing said substrate as part of said electrolytic coating process.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of Claim 19 where said photoresist film comprises an aqueous alkali soluble resist film.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of Claims 17 to 20 where said substrate comprises a circuit board and said metal coating is formed to obtain circuits and/or through hole plating on said board.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
The process of Claim 18 to 20 where said substrate comprises a circuit board and said photoresist is neutralized prior to forming said metal coating in order to selectively deposit said metal coating on said board as a circuit and/or through hole plating.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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