Methods and apparatus for fabricating high-resolution thin-layer metal patterns and 3D Metal structures are provided. The methods and apparatus operate via photo-(stereo)lithography at room temperature. The printed metal patterns, for example silver patterns, exhibit high electrical conductivity, comparable to or better than the conductivity of the silver printed by current laser sintering or thermal annealing at high temperature.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as powder bed fusion of thermoplastic particulates, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of printed objects. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced during additive manufacturing processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a thermoplastic printing composition, converting a portion of the metal precursor to discontinuous metal islands using laser irradiation, and performing electroless plating. Suitable printing compositions may comprise a plurality of thermoplastic particulates comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a metal precursor admixed with the thermoplastic polymer, and optionally a plurality of nanoparticles disposed upon an outer surface of each of the thermoplastic particulates, wherein the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon exposure to laser irradiation. Melt emulsification may be used to form the thermoplastic particulates.

A manufacturing method that enables an electrode to be formed on a specific portion of a surface of a sintered ceramic body by a simple technique. A method of manufacturing a ceramic electronic component includes preparing a sintered ceramic body that contains a metal oxide, and forming low-resistance portions that is formed by reducing the resistance of portions of the ceramic body by radiating laser onto electrode-formation regions of surfaces of the ceramic body. The method further includes causing a catalytic metal to selectively adhere to the low-resistance portions by immersing the ceramic body, in which the low-resistance portions have been formed, in a catalytic metal substitution treatment solution, and forming a plating layer that serves as an electrode onto the low-resistance portions by performing electroless plating on the ceramic body to which the catalytic metal has adhered.

To provide a resin composition having high relative permittivity, while keeping low loss tangent, and excellent mechanical strength; a molded article; and a method for manufacturing a plated molded article. A resin composition comprising: per 100 parts by mass of a thermoplastic resin, 0.3 to 10 parts by mass an acid-modified polymer; 5 to 150 parts by mass of a laser direct structuring additive; and 10 to 150 parts by mass of a reinforcing fiber, the laser direct structuring additive being a compound being a conductive oxide having a resistivity of 5×10.sup.3 Ω.Math.cm or smaller, and containing at least one type selected from a Group n (n represents an integer of 3 to 16) metal in the periodic table and a Group n+1 metal, or, calcium copper titanate.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of a printed object. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced in conjunction with fused filament fabrication processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a polymer filament having a filament body comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and forming a printed object from the polymer filament through layer-by-layer deposition, in which the metal precursor remains substantially unconverted to metal while forming the printed object. Suitable polymer filaments compatible with fused filament fabrication may comprise a thermoplastic polymer defining a filament body, and a metal precursor contacting the filament body, in which the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon laser irradiation.

A thermoplastic resin composition contains 10 to 90% by mass of (A) thermoplastic resin; 1 to 20% by mass of (B) laser direct structuring additive; and 0.3 to 7.0% by mass of (D) graphite, a total of the ingredient (A), the ingredient (B) and the ingredient (D) being always kept at 100% by mass or below, and a ratio by mass given by ingredient (B)/ingredient (D) being 1.0 to 20.

A method for selectively metallizing a surface of a ceramic substrate, a ceramic product and use of the ceramic product are provided. The method comprises steps of: A) molding and sintering a ceramic composition to obtain the ceramic substrate, in which the ceramic composition comprises a ceramic powder and a functional powder dispersed in the ceramic powder; the ceramic powder is at least one selected from a group consisting of an oxide of E, a nitride of E, a oxynitride of E, and a carbide of E; E at least one selected from a group consisting of Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, B, Al, Ga, Si, Ge, P, As, Sc, Y, Zr, Hf, is and lanthanide elements; the functional powder is at least one selected from a group consisting of an oxide of M, a nitride of M, a oxynitride of M, a carbide of M, and a simple substance of M; and M is at least one selected from a group consisting of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, In, Sn, Sb, Pb, Bi, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu; B) radiating a predetermined region of the surface of the ceramic substrate using an energy beam to form a chemical plating active center on the predetermined region of the surface of the ceramic substrate; and C) performing chemical plating on the ceramic substrate formed with the chemical plating active center to form a metal layer on the predetermined region of the surface of the ceramic substrate.

A thermoplastic resin composition of the present invention comprises: approximately 100 parts by weight of a polycarbonate resin; approximately 1-10 parts by weight of an additive for laser direct structuring; approximately 0.1-7 parts by weight of a maleic anhydride-modified olefin-based copolymer; and approximately 0.1-4 parts by weight of a phosphite compound represented by chemical formula 1. The thermoplastic resin composition has excellent plating reliability, impact resistance, chemical resistance and the like, and generates a small amount of gas during injection molding, and thus has excellent injection stability.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of a printed object. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced in conjunction with fused filament fabrication processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a polymer filament having a filament body comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and forming a printed object from the polymer filament through layer-by-layer deposition, in which the metal precursor remains substantially unconverted to metal while forming the printed object. Suitable polymer filaments compatible with fused filament fabrication may comprise a thermoplastic polymer defining a filament body, and a metal precursor contacting the filament body, in which the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon laser irradiation.

A workpiece (100) having substrate, such as a glass substrate, can be etched by a laser or by other means to create recessed features (200, 202). A laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process or metal oxide printing process can be employed to impart a seed material (402), such as a metal, onto the glass substrate, especially into the recessed features (200, 202). The seeded recessed features can be plated, if desired, by conventional techniques, such as electroless plating, to provide conductive features (500) with predictable and better electrical properties. The workpieces (100) can be connected in a stacked such that subsequently stacked workpieces (100) can be modified in place.