Provided is a semiconductor device, including: a front-back conduction-type semiconductor element; a front-side electrode formed on the front-back conduction-type semiconductor element; an electroless nickel-containing plating layer formed on the front-side electrode; and an electroless gold plating layer formed on the electroless nickel-containing plating layer, wherein the semiconductor device has a low-nickel concentration layer on a side of the electroless nickel-containing plating layer in contact with the electroless gold plating layer, and wherein the low-nickel concentration layer has a thickness smaller than that of the electroless gold plating layer.

A solder-coated ball (10A) includes a spherical core containing Ni and P; and a solder layer (12) formed to coat the core (11). A solder-coated ball (10B) further includes a Cu plating layer (13) formed between the core (11) and the solder layer (12). A solder-coated ball (10C) further includes an Ni plating layer (14) formed between the Cu plating layer (13) and the solder layer (12).

Tubulars are immersed in electroless nickel coating solution to coat the tubulars. Prior to the coating step the tubulars are blasted with a clean medium and washed and rinsed in alkaline solution. The tubulars are arranged in a bunk for washing, rinsing and coating. LLDPE stretch wrap applied to outer portions of the tubulars prevents coating of the outer portions. The tubulars are electrically separated from the bunk and the coating solution tank, and the tank is provided with anodic protection to prevent coating of the tank. The bunk is provided with a header assembly to provide solution flow through the tubulars via nozzles on the header assembly in addition to flow caused by the vortex effect created by velocity of fluid exiting the nozzles. The bunk is arranged in the solution tank so that the tubulars are at an angle to horizontal to efficiently remove hydrogen gas. Solution flow to the header assembly is filtered to remove particulates.

Horizontal methods of electroless metal plating with ionic catalysts have improved plating performance by reducing undesired foaming. The reduced foaming prevents loss of ionic catalyst from the catalyst bath and prevents scum formation which inhibits catalyst performance. The horizontal methods also inhibit ionic catalyst precipitation and improve adhesion of the ionic catalyst to the substrate. The horizontal method can be used to plate through-holes and vias of various types of substrates.

A semiconductor substrate has, on an Au electrode pad, an electrolessly-plated Ni film/an electrolessly-plated Pd film/an electrolessly-plated Au film or an electrolessly-plated Ni film/an electrolessly-plated Au film and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor substrate by the steps indicated in (1) to (6) below: (1) a degreasing step; (2) an etching step; (3) a pre-dipping step; (4) a Pd catalyst application step; (5) an electroless Ni plating step; (6) an electroless Pd plating step and electroless Au plating step or an electroless Au plating step.

An aluminum alloy cage and a method for producing the same. The aluminum alloy cage has a shot-peened aluminum alloy cage substrate and a coating formed on the surface of shot-peened aluminum alloy cage substrate, the coating including at least one nickel containing layer. The aluminum alloy cage has high fatigue strength, excellent corrosion resistance, high surface hardness and low surface friction coefficient, and exhibits excellent surface lubricity and wear resistance.

A nanostructure substrate includes groups of composite particles in which a reduced and deposited coating layer shows cohesive polarization action and/or electromagnetic polarization action. Also, to provide a nanostructure substrate, such active sites are dramatically increased to allow a medium to react homogenously over the entire nanostructure substrate. On a transparent semi-curable polyester resin film, groups of gold fine particles (average particle diameter: 20 nm) are reduced and deposited from an aqueous solution and self-aggregated. A half of the lower part of the groups of gold fine particles is submerged in the polyester resin film, and embedded in the front surface side of the transparent resin base body. Then, this transparent substrate is immersed in an electroless gold-plating solution repeatedly to deposit gold crystal grains on the fixed groups of gold fine particles.

Provided is a method for producing a composite alloy for use in an electrode for an alkaline storage battery, including a powder preparation step of preparing a hydrogen storage alloy powder containing Ti and Cr and having a BCC structure, an etching step of applying an acid to the hydrogen storage alloy powder prepared in the powder preparation step, a Pd film forming step of coating the surface of the hydrogen storage alloy powder subjected to the etching step with Pd using a substitution plating method, and a heat treatment step of heating the hydrogen storage alloy powder having a Pd film formed, at said heating being a temperature of 500° C. or less, wherein in the Pd coating forming step, the hydrogen storage alloy powder is coated with Pd under the condition that the Pd element weight ratio of the composite alloy to be produced is 0.47% or more.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new electroless plating film which can prevent the diffusion of molten solder to a metal material constituting a conductor. The present invention is an electroless Co—W plating film, wherein content of W is in an amount of 35 to 58 mass % and a thickness of the film is 0.05 μm or more.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for coating the internal surface of nano-scale cavities on a substrate are contemplated. A first fluid of high wettability is applied to the nano-scale cavity, filling the cavity. A second fluid carrying a conductor or a catalyst is applied over the opening of the nano-scale cavity. The second fluid has a lower vapor pressure than the first fluid. The first fluid is converted to a gas, for example by heating the substrate. The gas exits the nano-scale cavity, creating a negative pressure or vacuum in the nano-scale cavity. The negative pressure draws the second fluid into the nano-scale cavity. The conductor is deposited on the interior surface of the nano-scale cavity, preferably less than 10 nm thick.