Articles prepared by additive manufacturing of preforms that are coated by electrodeposition of nanolaminate materials, and methods of their production are described.

The present invention provides a precursor film for producing a conductive film, the precursor film including: a substrate; and a plated layer precursor layer disposed on the substrate, in which the plated layer precursor layer includes a polyfunctional monomer, a monofunctional monomer, and a polymer which has a functional group interacting with a plating catalyst or a precursor of the plating catalyst and has a polymerizable functional group.

The present invention provides a precursor film for producing a conductive film, the precursor film including: a substrate; and a plated layer precursor layer disposed on the substrate, in which the plated layer precursor layer includes a polyfunctional monomer, a monofunctional monomer, and a polymer which has a functional group interacting with a plating catalyst or a precursor of the plating catalyst and has a polymerizable functional group.

A heteroepitaxial structure includes a first metal portion having a polycrystalline structure, a second metal portion on the first metal portion, the second metal portion has an island-shaped structure on the first metal portion, the second metal portion is provided corresponding to at least one crystalline grain exposed to a surface of the first metal portion, and the second metal portion and the at least one crystalline grain have a heteroepitaxial interface.

A heteroepitaxial structure includes a first metal portion having a polycrystalline structure, a second metal portion on the first metal portion, the second metal portion has an island-shaped structure on the first metal portion, the second metal portion is provided corresponding to at least one crystalline grain exposed to a surface of the first metal portion, and the second metal portion and the at least one crystalline grain have a heteroepitaxial interface.

A method for fabricating an electronic component includes the steps of: forming a base material layer of, for example, nickel on a base material of copper, copper alloy, aluminium, or aluminium alloy; applying, as a catalyst, one or more metals selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium, platinum, silver, rhodium, cobalt, tin, copper, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium, on the base material layer; and forming a surface layer by an electroless tin plating bath including trivalent titanium as an reducing agent and pyrophosphate salt as a complexing agent. The surface layer has a thickness of 0.5 μm or more.

A metal foam ball, several millimeters in diameter, is manufactured to have an open-pore structure to absorb fluid (e.g., gas and liquid) such as water or lubricant. As an example, a copper foam ball is manufactured via a freeze casting method using prepared oxide powder slurry where a spherical silica gel mold is used to freeze the slurry, which is subsequently dried at low temperature in vacuum and then sintered at high temperature. For improved oxidation, copper alloy foam ball or copper foam ball coated with tin can also be manufactured through the same method. For improved strength, steel, copper-nickel alloy, or titanium foam ball can also be manufactured through the same method.

A metal foam ball, several millimeters in diameter, is manufactured to have an open-pore structure to absorb fluid (e.g., gas and liquid) such as water or lubricant. As an example, a copper foam ball is manufactured via a freeze casting method using prepared oxide powder slurry where a spherical silica gel mold is used to freeze the slurry, which is subsequently dried at low temperature in vacuum and then sintered at high temperature. For improved oxidation, copper alloy foam ball or copper foam ball coated with tin can also be manufactured through the same method. For improved strength, steel, copper-nickel alloy, or titanium foam ball can also be manufactured through the same method.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) enhancement agent includes a plurality of particles, each particle including: a metal core; a dielectric shell disposed on the metal core comprising at least one MRI contrast agent; and a metal shell disposed on the exterior surface of the dielectric shell that encapsulates the dielectric shell.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) enhancement agent includes a plurality of particles, each particle including: a metal core; a dielectric shell disposed on the metal core comprising at least one MRI contrast agent; and a metal shell disposed on the exterior surface of the dielectric shell that encapsulates the dielectric shell.