A wear resistant coated piston ring for an engine is provided. The piston ring includes a coating disposed on a ring body. The coating includes initially includes alternating first and second layers, wherein the first layers include trivalent chromium, and the second layers include nickel and phosphorous. The first layers are applied by depositing a trivalent chromium electrolyte, specifically Cr3+ electrolyte. The second layers are applied by electroless deposition. The coating is left in the as-is condition and is not heat treated before being disposed on a piston and then in an engine. The coating is naturally exposed to heat while the engine is running, and this heat causes the chromium, nickel, and phosphorous of the layers to diffuse and form a surface layer on a compound layer. The surface layer includes trivalent chromium, and the compound layer includes a ternary compound of chromium, nickel, and phosphorous.

A wear resistant coated piston ring for an engine is provided. The piston ring includes a coating disposed on a ring body. The coating includes initially includes alternating first and second layers, wherein the first layers include trivalent chromium, and the second layers include nickel and phosphorous. The first layers are applied by depositing a trivalent chromium electrolyte, specifically Cr3+ electrolyte. The second layers are applied by electroless deposition. The coating is left in the as-is condition and is not heat treated before being disposed on a piston and then in an engine. The coating is naturally exposed to heat while the engine is running, and this heat causes the chromium, nickel, and phosphorous of the layers to diffuse and form a surface layer on a compound layer. The surface layer includes trivalent chromium, and the compound layer includes a ternary compound of chromium, nickel, and phosphorous.

A method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier is provided which includes immersing at least a part of a copper surface of the component carrier in a composition containing Sn(II) in an immersion tin unit, while passing a non-oxidizing gas through the immersion tin unit, wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled. In addition, an apparatus for performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier, a method of performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier and an apparatus for performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier are provided.

Provided is a method and apparatus for improving adhesion between a polymer article and a metal plate. The method includes providing a polymer article, and hydrolyzing a surface of the polymer article using an acidic solution to obtain carboxylic acid groups at the surface. The method also includes grafting polyphenols to the carboxylic acid groups by esterification that is catalyzed by the acidic solution, and chelating metal ions to the grafted polyphenols to form polyphenol-metal complexes. The apparatus includes a body formed by additive manufacturing, and a metal plating formed on a surface of the body by electroless metal plating after a surface preparation process. The surface preparation process includes treating the surface with an acidic solution to obtain carboxylic acid groups at the surface, treating the surface with a polyphenol solution to obtain polyphenols grafted to the carboxylic acid groups, and chelating metal ions to the polyphenols.

A terminal includes a connecting portion to be electrically connected to a mating terminal by being inserted into the mating terminal. The connecting portion has a sliding region configured to slide on the mating terminal and a contact region configured to contact the mating terminal successively from a tip side. An outermost surface in the sliding region includes a copper-tin alloy layer containing copper and tin. An outermost surface in the contact region includes a tin layer containing tin as a main component. A Vickers hardness of the copper-tin alloy layer is higher than a Vickers hardness of the tin layer.

A metal wiring layer can be formed within a recess of a substrate and an unnecessary plating layer is not left on a surface of the substrate. A metal wiring layer forming method includes forming a first plating layer 7 as a protection layer at least on a tungsten or tungsten alloy 4 formed on a bottom surface 3a of a recess 3 of a substrate 2; removing an unnecessary plating layer 7a formed on a surface 2a of the substrate 2; and forming a second plating layer 8 on the first plating layer 7 within the recess 3.

A metal wiring layer can be formed within a recess of a substrate and an unnecessary plating layer is not left on a surface of the substrate. A metal wiring layer forming method includes forming a first plating layer 7 as a protection layer at least on a tungsten or tungsten alloy 4 formed on a bottom surface 3a of a recess 3 of a substrate 2; removing an unnecessary plating layer 7a formed on a surface 2a of the substrate 2; and forming a second plating layer 8 on the first plating layer 7 within the recess 3.

The present disclosure relates to an oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant hybrid structure including a metal layer (thin film layer) coated on the exterior of a conductive polymer structure, and a preparation method for the hybrid structure.

Methods of patterning electroless metals on a substrate are presented. The substrate is covered by a blocking reagent. After formation of a catalyst blocking layer on the substrate, portions of the catalyst blocking layer are removed to form a circuit pattern. A catalyst is placed the surfaces of both the catalyst blocking layer and the exposed substrate. The catalyst blocking layer prevents or reduces catalytic activity of the catalyst. Electroless metal plating is performed to plate a metal at the active portions of the catalyst.

An article includes an electroless deposited aluminum layer. The aluminum layer is deposited in an electroless plating composition. The composition includes an aluminum ionic liquid, a reducing agent, and an additive selected from the group consisting of a catalyst, an alloying element, and a combination thereof.