The present invention concerns a method for forming a metal layer for electromagnetic shielding and thermal management of active components, preferably by wet chemical metal plating, using an adhesion promotion layer on the layer of molding compound and forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer or forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer by wet chemical metal plating processes.

The substrate for a printed circuit board according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a base film having insulating properties, and a metal layer stacked on at least one surface of the base film, in which the base film includes a portion where a transition metal in group 10 of the periodic table is present. The transition metal in group 10 is preferably nickel or palladium. The portion where the transition metal in group 10 is present preferably includes a region having an average thickness of 500 nm and extending from an interface with the metal layer.

A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply configured to supply a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; a cover body configured to cover the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and a gas supply configured to supply an inert gas to a space between the substrate held by the substrate holder and the cover body, the gas supply having a gas supply opening through which the inert gas is discharged. An opening direction of the gas supply opening is directed to a direction other than the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply configured to supply a processing liquid to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; a cover body configured to cover the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and a gas supply configured to supply an inert gas to a space between the substrate held by the substrate holder and the cover body, the gas supply having a gas supply opening through which the inert gas is discharged. An opening direction of the gas supply opening is directed to a direction other than the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.

Provided is a dendritic silver-coated copper powder which is capable of effectively ensuring a contact, while having excellent electrical conductivity by having the surface coated with silver. A silver-coated copper powder according to the present invention is obtained by coating the surface of a copper powder 1, which is an assembly of copper particles 2 and has a dendritic form having a plurality of branches, with silver. Each copper particle 2, the surface of which is coated with silver, is an ellipsoid that has a breadth within the range of from 0.2 μm to 0.5 μm and a length within the range of from 0.5 μm to 2.0 μm. The average particle diameter (D50) of the copper powder 1, which is obtained by coating the surface of the assembly of the ellipsoidal copper particles 2 with silver, is from 5.0 μm to 20 μm.

Provided is a dendritic silver-coated copper powder which is capable of effectively ensuring a contact, while having excellent electrical conductivity by having the surface coated with silver. A silver-coated copper powder according to the present invention is obtained by coating the surface of a copper powder 1, which is an assembly of copper particles 2 and has a dendritic form having a plurality of branches, with silver. Each copper particle 2, the surface of which is coated with silver, is an ellipsoid that has a breadth within the range of from 0.2 μm to 0.5 μm and a length within the range of from 0.5 μm to 2.0 μm. The average particle diameter (D50) of the copper powder 1, which is obtained by coating the surface of the assembly of the ellipsoidal copper particles 2 with silver, is from 5.0 μm to 20 μm.

A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes forming the outermost conductor layer on the outermost resin insulating layer, forming a solder resist layer on the outermost resin insulating layer such that the solder resist layer covers the outermost conductor layer formed on the outermost resin insulating layer, irradiating plasma upon an exposed surface of the solder resist layer formed on the outermost conductor layer, forming a catalyst on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer formed on the outermost conductor layer, and forming an electroless plating layer on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer via the catalyst formed on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer such that the electroless plating layer has a film thickness in a range of 0.22 μm to 0.38 μm.

A method for manufacturing a printed wiring board includes forming the outermost conductor layer on the outermost resin insulating layer, forming a solder resist layer on the outermost resin insulating layer such that the solder resist layer covers the outermost conductor layer formed on the outermost resin insulating layer, irradiating plasma upon an exposed surface of the solder resist layer formed on the outermost conductor layer, forming a catalyst on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer formed on the outermost conductor layer, and forming an electroless plating layer on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer via the catalyst formed on the exposed surface of the solder resist layer such that the electroless plating layer has a film thickness in a range of 0.22 μm to 0.38 μm.

A processing device for a metal material, containing: an airtight container for housing a specimen thereinside; an oxygen pump for extracting oxygen molecules from a gas discharged from the airtight container; a circulation means for returning the gas into the airtight container; and a plasma generation means present inside the airtight container for converting the gas returned from the circulation means into plasma and exposing the specimen thereto.

A ceramic circuit substrate is suitable for silver nanoparticle bonding of semiconductor elements and has excellent close adhesiveness with a power module sealing resin. A ceramic circuit substrate has a copper plate bonded, by a braze material, to both main surfaces of a ceramic substrate including aluminum nitride or silicon nitride, the copper plate of at least one of the main surfaces being subjected to silver plating, wherein: the copper plate side surfaces are not subjected to silver plating; the thickness of the silver plating is 0.1 μm to 1.5 μm; and the arithmetic mean roughness Ra of the surface roughness of the circuit substrate after silver plating is 0.1 μm to 1.5 μm.