Electrically-conductive silver metal is provided in a pattern on a substrate having a first supporting side and a second opposing supporting side. One or both of the first supporting side and the second opposing supporting side has one or more electrically-conductive silver metal containing patterns containing the electrically-conductive silver metal; an α-oxy carboxylate; a 5- or 6-membered N-heteroaromatic compound; and a polymer that is either (i) a hydroxy-containing cellulosic polymer or (ii) a non-cellulosic acrylic polymer having a halo- or hydroxy-containing side chain. Such articles can be used in various devices and electrodes.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a liquid processing module, provided with a carry-out/in opening of a substrate, including therein a first liquid processing device and a second liquid processing device; a module-outside transfer device configured to carry the substrate out from and into the liquid processing module; and a module-inside transfer device configured to transfer the substrate between the first liquid processing device and the second liquid processing device. The first liquid processing device is equipped with a first holder configured to hold the substrate. The second liquid processing device is equipped with a second holder configured to hold the substrate. The second liquid processing device is configured to perform a plating processing on the substrate held by the second holder. The first liquid processing device is configured to perform at least a post-cleaning processing performed after the plating processing on the substrate held by the first holder.

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.

A composition which conditions a surface for electroless deposition of a metal is disclosed. The composition comprises a polymer surfactant comprising repeating units of a monomer, wherein each of the repeating units comprises a functional group; a metal ion; and water, wherein the functional group in each of the repeating units forms a complex with the metal ion. In a preferred embodiment, the functional group is amine, and the surfactant comprises polyethyleneimine and/or polyallylamine. The metal ion comprises cobalt, rhodium, palladium or silver. A method of forming the composition as well as a method of electroless deposition using the composition are also disclosed.

A nanostructure substrate includes groups of composite particles in which a reduced and deposited coating layer shows cohesive polarization action and/or electromagnetic polarization action. Also, to provide a nanostructure substrate, such active sites are dramatically increased to allow a medium to react homogenously over the entire nanostructure substrate. On a transparent semi-curable polyester resin film, groups of gold fine particles (average particle diameter: 20 nm) are reduced and deposited from an aqueous solution and self-aggregated. A half of the lower part of the groups of gold fine particles is submerged in the polyester resin film, and embedded in the front surface side of the transparent resin base body. Then, this transparent substrate is immersed in an electroless gold-plating solution repeatedly to deposit gold crystal grains on the fixed groups of gold fine particles.

The present disclosure is drawn to covers for electronic devices. In one example, a cover for an electronic device can include a substrate having an opening therethrough, or an outer edge, or both. A thermoplastic insert molding can include a metal oxide dopant, the thermoplastic insert molding positioned on the substrate. A paint coating can be included on the thermoplastic insert molding. A chamfered edge can be present on the substrate at a location that defines the opening, the outer edge, or both, wherein the chamfered edge cuts through the paint coating and partially through the thermoplastic insert molding to expose a portion of the metal oxide dopant at the chamfered edge. A metal layer can be formed using laser direct structuring masking a portion of the metal oxide dopant exposed at the chamfered edge. A second metal layer can be formed over the metal layer.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a printed circuit nano-fiber web. A method of manufacturing a printed circuit nano-fiber web according to an embodiment of the present invention includes (1) a step of electrospinning a spinning solution including a fiber-forming ingredient to manufacture a nano-fiber web; and (2) a step of forming a circuit pattern to coat an outer surface of nano-fiber included in a predetermined region on the nano-fiber web using an electroless plating method. According to the present invention, a circuit pattern-printed nano-fiber web having flexibility and resilience suitable for future smart devices may be realized. In addition, a circuit pattern may be densely formed to a uniform thickness on a flexible nano-fiber web using an electroless plating method, and the flexible nano-fiber web may include a plurality of pores. Accordingly, since the printed circuit nano-fiber web may satisfy waterproofness and air permeability characteristics, it can be used in various future industrial fields including medical devices, such as biopatches, and an electronic device, such as smart devices.

The invention relates to nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder, its preparation and high-performance composite ceramic cutting tool material. The composite powder has a core-shell structure with BNNS as the core and Ni as the shell. The self-lubricating ceramic cutting tool material is prepared by wet ball milling mixing and vacuum hot-pressing sintering with a phase alumina as the matrix, tungsten-titanium carbide as the reinforcing phase, nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder as the solid lubricant and magnesium oxide and yttrium oxide as the sintering aids. The invention also provides preparation methods of the nickel-coated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheet composite powder and the self-lubricating ceramic cutting tool material.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a circuit board including: (a) preparing a mixture of a metal powder, an anti-sintering agent, and an activator; (b) immersing a dielectric substrate in the mixture; (c) forming a metal-containing layer on the surface of the dielectric substrate by heating the mixture under an inert atmosphere or under a reducing atmosphere; (d) forming a first metal layer on the metal-containing layer by electroless plating and forming a second metal layer thereon by electroplating; and (e) forming a metal pattern on the dielectric substrate, wherein the first metal layer includes Cu, Ni, Co, Au, Pd, or an alloy thereof, the second metal layer includes Cu, Ni, Fe, Co, Cr, Zn, Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, Rh, or an alloy thereof, and the method further includes performing heat treatment at least once after step (c).

A circuit board has a dielectric core, a foil top surface, and a thin foil bottom surface with a foil backing of sufficient thickness to absorb heat from a laser drilling operation to prevent the penetration of the thin foil bottom surface during laser drilling. A sequence of steps including a laser drilling step, removing the foil backing step, electroless plating step, patterned resist step, electroplating step, resist strip step, tin plate step, and copper etch step are performed, which provide dot vias of fine linewidth and resolution.