A method for chemically modifying a surface of a metallic substrate material being made of a first metallic material includes the steps of a) bonding an alloy material made of the first metallic material and a second metallic material onto the substrate material; and b) etching away at least some of the first metallic material from the bonded substrate material to obtain a modified substrate material, wherein the modified substrate material has an increased specific surface area. A substrate for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) includes a modified substrate material.

A galvanic bath, containing: gold metal in the form of alkaline aurocyanide; organometallic components; a wetting agent; a complexing agent; free cyanide; copper metal in the form of copper II cyanide and potassium; and indium metal in the form of a complex indium metal, where the galvanic bath does not contain cadmium and zinc, and where the galvanic bath deposits a yellow gold alloy comprising gold, copper, and indium as main components.

A galvanic bath, containing: gold metal in the form of alkaline aurocyanide; organometallic components; a wetting agent; a complexing agent; free cyanide; copper metal in the form of copper II cyanide and potassium; and indium metal in the form of a complex indium metal, where the galvanic bath does not contain cadmium and zinc, and where the galvanic bath deposits a yellow gold alloy comprising gold, copper, and indium as main components.

Electrolytic hard gold plating solution substitution inhibitors containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an imidazole compound having a mercapto group, a triazole compound having a mercapto group, and an aliphatic compound having a sulfonic acid group and a mercapto group are provided. Electrolytic hard gold plating solutions containing at least one electrolytic hard gold plating solution substitution inhibitor, a gold salt, a soluble cobalt salt and/or a soluble nickel salt, an organic acid conducting salt, and a chelating agent are also provided.

Electrolytic hard gold plating solution substitution inhibitors containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an imidazole compound having a mercapto group, a triazole compound having a mercapto group, and an aliphatic compound having a sulfonic acid group and a mercapto group are provided. Electrolytic hard gold plating solutions containing at least one electrolytic hard gold plating solution substitution inhibitor, a gold salt, a soluble cobalt salt and/or a soluble nickel salt, an organic acid conducting salt, and a chelating agent are also provided.

A method for producing a foil arrangement includes structuring a conductive foil to be applied or applied onto a support foil upper side of a support foil and coating a conductive foil upper side of the structured conductive foil with a protective layer. A cover foil is laminated onto the support foil upper side and onto a protective layer upper side of the protective layer after the coating step.

A method for producing a foil arrangement includes structuring a conductive foil to be applied or applied onto a support foil upper side of a support foil and coating a conductive foil upper side of the structured conductive foil with a protective layer. A cover foil is laminated onto the support foil upper side and onto a protective layer upper side of the protective layer after the coating step.

A method for chemically modifying a surface of a metallic substrate material being made of a first metallic material includes the steps of a) bonding an alloy material made of the first metallic material and a second metallic material onto the substrate material; and b) etching away at least some of the first metallic material from the bonded substrate material to obtain a modified substrate material, wherein the modified substrate material has an increased specific surface area. A substrate for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) includes a modified substrate material.

A method for depositing a decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of a surface of a finished or semi-finished article made of a non-conductive ceramic material, this deposition method includes the following operations: subjecting the at least a portion of the surface of the article to a carburising or nitriding treatment during which carbon, respectively nitrogen atoms, diffuse in the at least a portion of the surface of the article, then depositing, by galvanic growth of a metallic material, the decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of the surface of the article which has undergone the carburising or nitriding treatment.

The present invention provides a non-cyanide based AuSn alloy plating solution capable of performing a AuSn alloy plating treatment by a plating solution composition that is neutral and does not contain cyanide. In the present invention, a non-cyanide soluble gold salt, a Sn compound composed of tetravalent Sn, and a thiocarboxylic acid-based compound are contained. The non-cyanide based AuSn alloy plating solution of the present invention can further contain sugar alcohols, and, in addition, can further contain a dithioalkyl compound.