Prior to electroless copper plating on substrates containing copper, an aqueous composition containing select imidazole compounds is applied to the substrate. The aqueous composition containing the select imidazole compounds counteract passivation of the copper on the substrate to improve the electroless copper plating process.

In a flow down type surface treating apparatus, a scattering amount of a processing solution Q is reduced. A honeycomb member 60 is provided vertically below a transport hanger 16. The honeycomb member 60 consists of a plurality of tubular members with hexagonal holes connected together. When the processing solution Q falls in a vertical direction (in the direction of an arrow α), the processing solution Q passes through through-holes of the honeycomb member 60. When the processing solution Q hits liquid level H, a part of it is reflected. Since a part of the reflected processing solution Q is reflected obliquely, it collides with an inner wall of the through-hole of the honeycomb member 60. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid Q that emerges again on an upper surface of the through-holes is reduced. Thereby, the honeycomb member 60 exhibits a scattering prevention function.

A process for depositing metal or metal alloy on a substrate including treating the substrate surface with an activation solution comprising a source of metal ions so the metal ions are adsorbed on the substrate surface, treating the obtained substrate surface with a treatment solution containing an additive selected from thiols, thioethers, disulphides and sulphur containing heterocycles, and a reducing agent suitable to reduce the metal ions adsorbed on the substrate surface selected from boron based reducing agents, hypophosphite ions, hydrazine and hydrazine derivatives, ascorbic acid, iso-ascorbic acid, sources of formaldehyde, glyoxylic acid, sources of glyoxylic acid, glycolic acid, formic acid, sugars, and salts of aforementioned acids; and subsequently treating the substrate surface with a metallizing solution comprising a source of metal ions to be deposited such that a metal or metal alloy is deposited thereon.

A patterning process, comprises: (i) forming a radiation-sensitive film on a substrate, wherein the radiation-sensitive film comprises: (a) a resin, (b) a photoacid generator, (c) a first quencher, and (d) a second quencher; (ii) patternwise exposing the radiation-sensitive film to activating radiation; and (iii) contacting the radiation-sensitive film with an alkaline developing solution to form a resist pattern; wherein the resin comprises the following repeat units: ##STR00001##
wherein: R.sub.1 is selected from a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a cyano group or a trifluoromethyl group; Z is a non-hydrogen substituent that provides an acid-labile moiety; n is from 40 to 90 mol %; m is from 10 to 60 mol %; and the total combined content of the two repeat units in the resin is 80 mol % or more based on all repeat units of the resin; and the first quencher is selected from benzotriazole or a derivative thereof.

A method for producing an alloy steel composition includes the following steps: performing a first heat treatment on an alloy steel composition and maintaining for a first time period to soften the alloy steel composition; performing a first cooling treatment on the softened alloy steel composition; performing a treatment on the softened the alloy steel composition to form a workpiece; performing a second heat treatment on the workpiece and maintaining for a second time period; and performing a second cooling treatment on the workpiece to make the workpiece become to be a Bainite structure, and a cooling rate of the second cooling treatment is high than the cooling rate of the first cooling treatment.

Even when a stress is applied due to energization or switching operation, a connection state of electrode layers can be appropriately maintained. A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer of first conductivity type, an upper surface structure formed on a surface layer of the semiconductor layer, and an upper surface electrode formed over the upper surface structure. The upper surface electrode includes a first electrode formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor layer, and a second electrode formed over an upper surface of the first electrode. The first concave portion is formed on the upper surface of the first electrode. A side surface of the first concave portion has a tapered shape. The second electrode is formed over the upper surface of the first electrode including an inside of the first concave portion.

A heteroepitaxial structure includes a first metal portion having a polycrystalline structure, a second metal portion on the first metal portion, the second metal portion has an island-shaped structure on the first metal portion, the second metal portion is provided corresponding to at least one crystalline grain exposed to a surface of the first metal portion, and the second metal portion and the at least one crystalline grain have a heteroepitaxial interface.

Provided is a plating lamination technology for providing a highly adhesive inner layer of a printed circuit board. The plating lamination technology is effective in providing an electroless plated laminate, including a non-etched/low-roughness pretreated laminate or a low-roughness copper foil, and a printed circuit board including the plated laminate.

An electroless process for depositing gold (Au.sup.0) from a solution, comprising allowing gold (Au.sup.0) place from a solution of gold thiocyanate complex dissolved in a mixture of water-miscible organic solvent and water, or the deposition of gold (Au.sup.0) takes place on a deposition-directing layer comprising positively charged organic groups, said layer being provided on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate sought to be gold-coated.

A composite member includes: a substrate formed of a composite material containing a plurality of diamond grains and a metal phase; and a coating layer made of metal. The surface of the substrate includes a surface of the metal phase, and a protrusion formed of a part of at least one diamond grain of the diamond grains and protruding from the surface of the metal phase. In a plan view, the coating layer includes a metal coating portion, and a grain coating portion. A ratio of a thickness of the grain coating portion to a thickness of the metal coating portion is equal to or less than 0.80. The coating layer has a surface roughness as an arithmetic mean roughness Ra of less than 2.0 m.