Layer-by-layer thickness control of an electroplated film can be achieved by using a cyclic deposition process. The cyclic process involves forming a layer (or partial layer) of hydrogen on a surface of the substrate, then displacing the layer of hydrogen with a layer of metal. These steps are repeated a number of times to deposit the metal film to a desired thickness. Each step in the cycle is self-limiting, thereby enabling atomic level thickness control.

A plating method includes preparing; generating a plating liquid; and performing an electroless plating processing. In the preparing, a substrate is prepared. In the generating of the plating liquid, the plating liquid M is generated by mixing a first chemical liquid L1 containing a metal ion, a reducing agent and a complexing agent with a second chemical liquid L2 containing a pH adjuster as a main component. In the performing of the electroless plating processing, the electroless plating processing is performed on the substrate by using the generated plating liquid M immediately after the generating of the plating liquid.

A technique advantageous for shortening time required for electroless plating that is performed on a substrate is provided. A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a reaction acceleration unit, configured to accelerate a plating reaction of an unused electroless plating solution, including an activation unit configured to accelerate the electroless plating solution with respect to the plating reaction and a reaction heater configured to heat the electroless plating solution; and a plating solution supply configured to supply the electroless plating solution to the substrate held by the substrate holder.

An object is to coat a target position on a substrate with a dense film. In order to achieve the object, while a substrate on which a base containing a coating material is formed is transported, an auxiliary agent is applied to the substrate, and then a main agent containing a coating material is applied to the substrate to react the main agent with the auxiliary agent, so that a portion on the substrate where the base is formed is coated with the coating material.

An electroless plating apparatus includes: a plating bath; a reserve tank; a retaining means for retaining a plurality of semiconductor wafers upright at regular intervals; a plating liquid circulating path; a circulating pump; a flowmeter and a plating liquid supply pipe having a plurality of spouts formed in an upper part thereof at regular intervals. The regular intervals at which the plurality of semiconductor wafers are retained upright by the retaining means are the same as the regular intervals at which the plurality of spouts are formed in the upper part of the plating liquid supply pipe. The plurality of spouts formed on the upper part of the plating liquid supply pipe may be positioned within the regular intervals between the plurality of semiconductor wafers being retained by the retaining means.

A surface treatment device includes at least one paddle in a plate shape, in a surface treatment tank, for stirring a surface treatment solution near a substrate by reciprocally moving the paddle with respect to the substrate. The paddle is configured by integrally forming multiple square bars provided in a depth direction or a horizontal direction of the surface treatment solution at regular intervals along the substrate. A liquid draining member for draining a liquid is arranged in at least one side of an end of the paddle.

A process for metallizing a three-dimensional-printed polymeric structure includes soaking the three-dimensional-printed polymeric structure in a metal salt solution; transferring the three-dimensional polymeric structure to a solution comprising a first reducing agent; soaking the three-dimensional polymeric structure in a metal plating bath, the metal plating bath comprising a coordinating agent, a palladium or platinum salt, a pH buffer component, and a second reducing agent, to form a metal plated polymeric structure. A metal plated porous structure and an apparatus for improving metallization are also disclosed.

Methods for manufacturing electrically-conductive proppant particles are disclosed. The methods can include preparing a slurry containing water, a binder, and a raw material having an alumina content, atomizing the slurry into droplets, and coating seeds containing alumina with the droplets to form a plurality of green pellets. The green pellets can be contacted with an activation solution containing at least one catalytically active material to provide activated green pellets including the at least one catalytically active material. The method can include sintering the activated green pellets to provide a plurality of proppant particles. The plurality of proppant particles can be contacted with a plating solution containing one or more electrically-conductive material to provide electrically-conductive proppant particles.

A multifunctional coating method involves cleaning a surface, applying a layer of corrosion-resistant alloy coating to the surface, and applying an oleo-hydrophobic composite coating over the corrosion-resistant alloy coating. An oil and gas pipe has an inner surface with a multifunctional coating applied using the multifunctional coating method, and has an inner oleo-hydrophobic composite coating, beneath the inner oleo-hydrophobic composite coating a corrosion-resistant alloy coating, and beneath the corrosion-resistant alloy coating untreated pipe or any other metallic substrate.

Provided is process for producing a surface-metalized fiber, yarn, or fabric, the process comprising: (a) Feeding a continuous fiber, yarn, or fabric from a feeder roller into a graphene deposition chamber containing therein a graphene dispersion comprising multiple graphene sheets and an optional conducive filler dispersed in a first liquid medium and an optional adhesive resin dissolved in the first liquid medium; (b) Operating the graphene deposition chamber to deposit the graphene sheets and optional conductive filler to a surface of the fiber, yarn, or fabric for forming a graphene-coated fiber, yarn, or fabric; (c) Moving the graphene-coated fiber, yarn, or fabric into a metallization chamber which accommodates a plating solution therein for plating a layer of a desired metal onto the graphene-coated fiber, yarn, or fabric to obtain a surface-metalized fiber, yarn, or fabric; and (d) Operating a winding roller to collect the surface-metalized fiber, yarn, or fabric.