Method for reducing seed deposition in electroless plating

Claim 2

A circuit structure produced by the following method: a. providing a workpiece comprising a substrate coated with a polymeric dielectric layer; wherein the polymeric dielectric layer comprises hydroxyl groups, and scavenging groups having sulfur moieties or atoms; b. baking the workpieces; c. then applying a polymeric surfactant to the polymeric dielectric layer, wherein the polymeric surfactant is capable of hydrogen bonding to the hydroxyl groups on the polymeric dielectric layer; d. then applying a seed to the dielectric layer; and e. electrolessly plating metal to the seed deposited in step d.

Claim 3

The circuitized structure of claim 1, further comprising the steps of applying a photoresist to the seeded polymeric dielectric, and then photopatterning the photoresist, after step d and before step e, wherein in step e the seed areas which are not covered with photoresist are plated.

Claim 4

The circuitized structure of claim 1, wherein the weak acidic groups are hydroxyl groups, the scavenging groups are sulfur moieties or sulfur atoms, polymeric surfactant is a polyelectrolyte and the bake temperature is at least about 100° C.

Claim 5

The circuitized structure of claim 3, wherein the polymeric dielectric has solids which are comprised of: from about 10 to 80%, of phenoxy polyol resin which is the condensation product of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A, having a molecular weight of from about 40,000 to 130,000; from about 20 to 90%, of an epoxidized multifunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolac resin having a molecular weight of from about 4,000 to 10,000; and from 0 to 50%, of a halogenated, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having a molecular weight of from about 600 to 2,500.

Claim 6

The circuitized structure of claim 4, wherein the polymeric dielectric has solids which are comprised of: from about 20 to 40%, of the phenoxy polyol resin, wherein the phenoxy polyol resin has a weight average molecular weight of about 60,000 to 90,000 and an epoxide value of from about 0.01 to about 0.3 equivalents per kg, a weight per epoxide, of from about 20,000 to about 50,000, and a glass transition temperature of from about 90 to about 110° C.; from about 25 to 30%, of the epoxidized multifunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolac resin having a molecular weight of from about 5,000 to 7,000 and an epoxide value of from about 3 to about 6, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 190 to about 230, and a melting point of from about 70° C. to about 90° C.; from about 35 to 50%, of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to 1,700 an epoxide value of from about 1 to about 3, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 80 to about 110° C.; a cationic photoinitiator having a sulfur moiety or sulfur atoms.

Claim 7

A circuit structure comprising: A substrate coated with a polymeric dielectric layer comprising hydroxyl groups and scavenging groups including sulfur moieties or atoms; surfactant, disposed on the polymeric dielectric layer; seed layer disposed on the polymeric dielectric layer; and metal electrolessly plated to the seed layer.

Claim 8

A circuit structure comprising: A substrate coated with a polymeric dielectric layer comprising hydroxyl groups and scavenging groups including sulfur moieties or atoms; surfactant, disposed on the polymeric dielectric layer; seed layer disposed on the polymeric dielectric layer; and metal electrolessly plated to the seed layer.

Claim 9

The circuitized structure of claim 6, wherein the seed is present in an amount of about 13.5 μg/cm 2 or less.

Claim 10

The circuitized structure of claim 6, wherein the seed is present in an amount of about 9 μg/cm 2 or less.

Claim 11

The circuitized structure of claim 6, wherein the polymeric dielectric has solids which are comprised of: from about 10 to 80%, of phenoxy polyol resin which is the condensation product of epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A, having a molecular weight of from about 40,000 to 130,000; from about 20 to 90%, of an epoxidized multifunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolac resin having a molecular weight of from about 4,000 to 10,000; from 0 to 50%, of a halogenated, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having a molecular weight of from about 600 to 2,500; and from about 0.1 parts to about 15 parts by weight of the total resin weight of a cationic photoinitiator containing sulfur moieties or sulfur atoms.

Claim 12

The circuitized structure of claim 9, wherein the polymeric dielectric has solids which are comprised of: from about 20 to 40%, o the phenoxy polyol resin, wherein the phenoxy polyol resin has a weight average molecular weight of about 60,000 to 90,000 and an epoxide value of from about 0.01 to about 0.3 equivalents per kg, a weight per epoxide, of from about 20,000 to about 50,000, and a glass transition temperature of from about 90 to about 110° C.; from about 25 to 30%, of the epoxidized multifunctional bishpenol A formaldehyde novolac resin having a molecular weight of from about 5,000 to 7,000 and an epoxide value of from about 3 to about 6, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 190 to about 230, and a melting point of from about 70° C. to about 90° C.; from about 35 to 50%, of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having: a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to 1,700; an epoxide value of from about 1 to about 3, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 500 to about 750, and a melting point of from 80 to about 110° C.; and from about 0.1 to 15 parts, by weight of the total resin of a cationic photoinitiator containing a sulfur moiety or sulfur atoms.

Claim 13

The circuitized structure of claim 6, wherein the polymeric surfactant is a polyelectrolyte, and the dielectric layer comprises epoxy resin having hydroxyl groups.

Claim 14

The circuitized structure of claim 11, wherein the surface of the baked polymeric dielectric displays a wetting force in 1N sodium hydroxide that is from about 35% greater to about 10% less, than the wetting force of such surface in water at pH 5.2.

Claim 15

The circuitized structure of claim 11, wherein the surfactant has amide groups and a molecular weight of from about 10 5 to 10 7 .

Claim 16

The circuitized structure of claim 13, wherein the surfactant comprises cationic polyacrylamide polyelectrolyte or a cationic polyamidoamide polyelectrolyte.

Claim 17

The circuitized structure of claim 14, wherein the polymeric dielectric has solids which are comprised of: from about 20 to 40%, of the phenoxy polyol resin, wherein the phenoxy polyol resin has a weight average molecular weight of about 60,000 to 90,000 and an epoxide value of from about 0.01 to about 0.3 equivalents per kg, a weight per epoxide, of from about 20,000 to about 50,000, and a glass transition temperature of from about 90 to about 110° C.; from about 25 to 30%, of the epoxidized multifunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolac resin having a molecular weight of from about 5,000 to 7,000 and an epoxide value of from about about 3 to about 6, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 190 to about 230, and a melting point of from about 70° C. to about 90° C.; from about 35 to 50%, of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having a molecular weight of from about 1,000 to 1,700 an epoxide value of from about 1 to about 3, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 500 to about 750, and a melting point of from about 80 to about 110° C.

Claim 18

The circuitized structure of claim 15, wherein the polymeric dielectric solids are comprised of: about 30%, of the phenoxy polyol resin, wherein the phenoxy polyol resin has an epoxide value of about 0.03 equivalents per kg, a weight per epoxide, of about 37,000 and a glass transition temperature of about 98° C.; from about 25 to 30%, of the epoxidized multifunctional bisphenol A formaldehyde novolac resin has an epoxide value of from about 4.7, equivalents per kilogram, a weight per epoxide of from about 215, and a melting point of about 82° C.; from about 35 to 50%, of a brominated, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having: an epoxide of about 1.5 equivalents per kilogram; a weight per epoxide of about 675; and a melting point of about 97° C.; and wherein the cationic photoinitiator comprises a complex triarylsulfonium hexafluoroantimonate salt.

Claim 19

The circuitized structure of claim 14, wherein the surfactant is a cationic polyacrylamide polyelectrolyte.

Claim 20

The circuitized structure of claim 14, wherein the surfactant is a cationic polyamido amine polyelectrolyte.