Process for simultaneously electroplating discrete areas of an insulative substrate

Abstract

Abstract THE PROCESS PERMITS THE SIMULTANEOUS ELECTROPLATING OF A PLURALITY OF DISCRETE AREAS OF A SUBSTRATE THAT IS EITHER A NON-CONDUCTOR OR A POOR ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR. IN THE PROCESS, AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE THERMOSETTING ADHESIVE IN THE UNCURED STATE IS DEPOSITED UPON THE DISCRETE AREAS TO BE PLATED AND THE AEDHESIVE IS THEN CURED TO CAUSE IT TO BECOME INFUSIBLE AND INSOLUBLE. AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE THERMOPLASTIC ADHESIVE IS SPREAD UPON THE SUBSTRATE TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL PATH FROM THE EACH DISCRETE AREA TO A COMMON TERMINAL. THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE AREAS THAT ARE NOT TO BE PLATED ARE COVERED WITH A PLATING RESIST. THE SUBSTRATE IS THEN IMMERSED IN A PLATING BATH WITH ONE OF THE ELECTRODES CONNECTED TO THE COMMON TERMINAL AND THE EXPOSED ELECTRICALL CONDUCTIVE AREAS ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY ELECTROPLATED TO THE DESIRED THICKNESS OF PLATE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLATING RESIST IS REMOVED TO UNCOVER THE THERMOPLASTIC ADHESIVE AND THE THERMOPLASTIC ADHESIVE IS DISSOLVED WITH A SOLVENT WHICH DOES NOT AFFECT THE THERMOSET ADHESIVE.

Inventors

• 👤 Frank W Kulesza

Bibliographic Details