US4751106A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Metal plating process
Assignee: Shipley Co Inc
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Filing: 1986-09-25
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Granted: 1988-06-14
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Expires: 2006-09-25
Abstract
Abstract A process for the formation of a plated through-hole printed circuit board comprising treating a circuit board base material as follows: 1. condition with an oxidant solution; 2(A). contact with a copper etchant that etches copper and neutralizes oxidant residues on the surface to be plated; and 2(B). contact with a conditioner that conditions the board surface for enhanced catalyst adsorption; or 2(A). contact with a neutralizer for oxidant residues that neutralizes said residues and conditions the board surface for enhanced catalyst adsorption; and 2(B). contact with a copper etchant; and 3. catalyze the board; and 4. plate electroless metal onto catalyzed surfaces from a plating solution containing a source of halide ions in a concentration of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution. The process is characterized by the absence of a step of acceleration and contains fewer processing steps than prior art processes.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary M. Wilkinson
- 👤 Cheryl A. Deckert
- 👤 Jeffrey J. Doubrava
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 06:31
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/40; H05K3/42; H05K3/422; C; C23; C23C; C23C18/00; C23C18/16; C23C18/18; C23C18/20; C23C18/28; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/07; H05K2203/0779; H05K2203/0786; H05K2203/0796; H05K2203/12; H05K2203/122; H05K3/0011; H05K3/0055; H05K3/38; H05K3/382; H05K3/383; H05K3/425; H05K3/427
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A process for electrolessly plating metal onto a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the principal steps of: a. oxidizing the surface to be plated; b. neutralizing oxidant residues resulting from oxidation, conditioning the surface with a surfactant to enhance adsorptivity of the surface and etching the copper portions of the surface, the steps of neutralizing, conditioning and etching being conducted in two processing steps; c. catalyzing the surface to be plated with a metal catalytic to electroless metal deposition; and d. plating electroless metal onto the surface from an electroless plating solution characterized by halide ions in solution in a concentration of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution where at least a portion of said halide ions are from a source other than the source of the plating metal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A process for electrolessly plating metal onto a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the principal steps of: a. oxidizing the surface to be plated; b. neutralizing oxidant residues resulting from oxidation, conditioning the surface with a surfactant to enhance adsorptivity of the surface and etching the copper portions of the surface, the steps of neutralizing, conditioning and etching being conducted in two processing steps; c. catalyzing the surface to be plated with a metal catalytic to electroless metal deposition; and d. plating electroless metal onto the surface from an electroless plating solution characterized by halide ions in solution in a concentration of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution where at least a portion of said halide ions are from a source other than the source of the plating metal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1 where the steps of neutralizing, conditioning and etching comprise a first step of contact with a solution that simultaneously neutralizes and etches and a second step of contact with a solution that conditions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The process of claim 1 where the steps of neutralizing, conditioning and etching comprise a first step of contact with a solution that simultaneously neutralizes and conditions and a second step of contact with a solution that etches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 2 where the solution to neutralize and etch is a mineral acid solution activated with a peroxy compound.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 4 where the solution is a sulfuric acid solution activated with hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 3 where the solution to neutralize and condition is a solution containing a reducing agent and a surfactant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 6 where the solution comprises an amine reducing agent and a cationic surfactant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 1 characterized by the absence of a step of acceleration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
The process of claim 1 where the plating metal is copper.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 where the halide ion in the electroless plating solution is chloride ion.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 10 where the halide ions are chloride ions in a total concentration of from 0.3 to 3.0 moles per liter of solution.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The process of claim 10 where the halide ions are chloride ions in a concentration varying between 0.5 and 1.5 moles per liter of solution.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 where the surface to be plated is a circuit board base material having through-holes between surfaces.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 13 where the circuit board base material is copper clad epoxy.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process of claim 2 where the conditioner is a cationic surfactant containing solution.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 3 where the etchant is a mineral acid solution activated with hydrogen peroxide.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
The process of claim 16 where the mineral acid is sulfuric acid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process of claim 1 where the step of catalysis involves a step of treatment with a catalyst pre-dip followed by catalysis.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process of claim 18 where the catalysis pre-dip solution is a solution of halide ions.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process of claim 1 where the catalyst is a palladium tin catalyst.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process of claim 1 including a step of solvent pretreatment as an initial step in the sequence.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for electrolessly plating copper onto the surface of a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the steps of: a. treating the surface with a solution of a solvent for the circuit board base material; b. treating the surface with a solution of an oxidant; c. treating the surface with a solution that neutralizes oxidant residues and simultaneously etches copper; d. treating the surface with a solution that conditions the surface to enhance adsorption of subsequently applied catalyst; e. treating the surface with an electroless plating catalyst; and f. electroless plating copper over the catalyzed surface from a copper plating solution containing a total chloride content of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for electrolessly plating copper onto the surface of a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the steps of: a. treating the surface with a solution of a solvent for the circuit board base material; b. treating the surface with a solution of an oxidant; c. treating the surface with a solution that neutralizes oxidant residues and simultaneously etches copper; d. treating the surface with a solution that conditions the surface to enhance adsorption of subsequently applied catalyst; e. treating the surface with an electroless plating catalyst; and f. electroless plating copper over the catalyzed surface from a copper plating solution containing a total chloride content of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for electrolessly plating copper onto the surface of a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the steps of: a. treating the surface with a solution of a solvent for the circuit board base material; b. treating the surface with a solution of an oxidant; c. treating the surface with a solution that neutralizes oxidant residues and simultaneously conditions the surface to enhance adsorption of subsequently applied catalyst; d. treating the surface with a solution that etches copper; e. treating the surface with an electroless plating catalyst; and f. electroless plating copper over the catalyzed surface from a copper plating solution containing a total chloride content of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
119 words
A process for electrolessly plating copper onto the surface of a copper clad circuit board base material, said process comprising the steps of: a. treating the surface with a solution of a solvent for the circuit board base material; b. treating the surface with a solution of an oxidant; c. treating the surface with a solution that neutralizes oxidant residues and simultaneously conditions the surface to enhance adsorption of subsequently applied catalyst; d. treating the surface with a solution that etches copper; e. treating the surface with an electroless plating catalyst; and f. electroless plating copper over the catalyzed surface from a copper plating solution containing a total chloride content of at least 0.1 moles per liter of solution.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-06-14 | 1991-12-14 | 1992-06-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-06-14 | 1995-12-14 | 1996-06-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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