A method for producing metal patterns, which includes depositing a temporary protection on a substrate surface corresponding to the negative of the patterns to be produced; depositing at least one metal on the areas corresponding to the patterns to be produced; and eliminating the temporary protection at least partly during and/or after, or at least partly during and/or after the deposition step. The method can produce decorative objects or functional objects such as printed circuits, integrated circuits, RFID chips, and electronic reader-readable encoding pictograms. A set of consumables used to implement the method is also disclosed.

At least one plating pen is brought into aligned relationship with at least one hole defined in a board. The pen includes a central retractable protrusion, a first shell surrounding the protrusion and defining a first annular channel therewith, and a second shell surrounding the first shell and defining a second annular channel therewith. The protrusion is lowered to block the hole and plating material is flowed down the first channel to a surface of the board and up into the second channel, to form an initial deposit on the board surface. The protrusion is raised to unblock the hole, and plating material is flowed down the first annular channel to side walls of the hole and up into the second annular channel, to deposit the material on the side walls of the hole.

[Problem] An object is to provide novel composite copper foils. [Means to solve the problem] A composite copper foil comprises a copper foil and a layer of metal other than copper, the metal layer being formed on at least a part of a surface of the copper foil, wherein at least a part of the composite copper foil has protrusions on a surface thereof, and each protrusion has a height of 10 nm or more but 1000 nm or less in a cross-section of the composite copper foil.

[Problem] An object is to provide novel composite copper foils. [Means to solve the problem] A composite copper foil comprises a copper foil and a layer of metal other than copper, the metal layer being formed on at least a part of a surface of the copper foil, wherein at least a part of the composite copper foil has protrusions on a surface thereof, and each protrusion has a height of 10 nm or more but 1000 nm or less in a cross-section of the composite copper foil.

A support for supporting a component to be plated in a chromic acid-free plating process, the support having a contact surface comprising iodine-treated and/or bromine-treated plastic.

A method for electrolessly depositing a metal layer onto a substrate, including the following chronological steps: a) treating the substrate surface to be plated with an etching solution; b) treating the substrate surface to be plated with a polyelectrolyte or an organosilane compound; c) treating the surface to be plated with a solution containing metal particles; d) treating the surface to be plated with a solution containing at least one salt of the metal to be deposited onto the substrate.

Vacuum-integrated photoresist-less methods and apparatuses for forming metal hardmasks can provide sub-30 nm patterning resolution. A metal-containing (e.g., metal salt or organometallic compound) film that is sensitive to a patterning agent is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The metal-containing film is then patterned directly (i.e., without the use of a photoresist) by exposure to the patterning agent in a vacuum ambient to form the metal mask. For example, the metal-containing film is photosensitive and the patterning is conducted using sub-30 nm wavelength optical lithography, such as EUV lithography.

Provided is a method of preparing a nanocomposite material plated with a network-type metal layer through silica self-cracks and a wearable electronics carbon fiber prepared therefrom. The present disclosure provides a nanocomposite material having excellent electrical conductivity and bending resistance by plating a network-type metal layer on a substrate having a flat surface and/or a curved surface through a method of preparing the nanocomposite material in which the network-type metal layer is plated on silica self-cracks by applying a silica coating solution on the substrate having a flat or curved surface, performing drying after the applying of the silica coating solution to form the silica self-cracks having random crack directions and sizes, and performing electroless metal plating on the surface of the substrate. Further, the present disclosure provides a wearable electronics carbon fiber having excellent electrical conductivity and bending resistance.

The disclosure provides for anti-scale deposition coatings for use on surface, such as on oilfield parts. The coating includes a first, sublayer of a metal, ceramic, or metal-ceramic composite, which is characterized in having a hardness in excess of 35 HRC. The coating includes a second, top layer over the first layer, that is a polymer. A surface of the first layer may be conditioned to have a roughened or patterned topology for receipt of and adherence with the at least one top layer. The first layer may provide the coating with hardness, and the at least one top layer may provide the coating with low-friction and anti-scale properties.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to horizontally hold and rotate a substrate which has a recess and a base metal layer exposed from a bottom surface of the recess; and a pre-cleaning liquid supply configured to supply a pre-cleaning liquid such as dicarboxylic acid or tricarboxylic acid onto the substrate being held and rotated by the substrate holder, to thereby pre-clean the base metal layer. A temperature of the pre-cleaning liquid on the substrate is equal to or higher than 40° C.