According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a base material for a printed circuit board includes: an insulating base film; a sintered body layer that is layered on at least one surface of the base film and that is formed of a plurality of sintered metal particles; and an electroless plating layer that is layered on a surface of the sintered body layer that is opposite to the base film, wherein an area rate of sintered bodies of the metal particles in a cross section of the sintered body layer is greater than or equal to 50% and less than or equal to 90%.

An electroless aqueous gold plating bath, comprising at least one source of gold ions and at least one reducing agent for gold ions, characterized in that it comprises at least one ethylenediamine derivative as plating enhancer compound according to formula (I)

##STR00001##

wherein the residues R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 comprise 2 to 12 carbon atoms and are selected from the group consisting of branched alkyl, unbranched alkyl, cycloalkyl or combinations thereof wherein the individual residues R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and a method of depositing of gold. The electroless aqueous gold plating bath is suitable to provide soft gold layers useful for wire bonding and soldering applications which are required for electronic components.

Methods of patterning electroless metals on a substrate are presented. The substrate is covered by a blocking reagent. After formation of a catalyst blocking layer on the substrate, portions of the catalyst blocking layer are removed to form a circuit pattern. A catalyst is placed the surfaces of both the catalyst blocking layer and the exposed substrate. The catalyst blocking layer prevents or reduces catalytic activity of the catalyst. Electroless metal plating is performed to plate a metal at the active portions of the catalyst.

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 ), 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.

An article includes an electroless deposited aluminum layer. The aluminum layer is deposited in an electroless plating composition. The composition includes an aluminum ionic liquid, a reducing agent, and an additive selected from the group consisting of a catalyst, an alloying element, and a combination thereof.

The present invention is to solve the problem of residues in nanoimprint lithography without losing the merits thereof, i.e., low cost and high productivity, and provides a metal film formation technique advantageous in pattern accuracy and product reliability over time. A metal film formation method according to the present invention comprises a first step where a nanoimprint lithography material is deposited on an insulating substrate to form an underlayer, a second step where the underlayer is pressed with a mold having protrusions to pattern by nanoimprint lithography, a third step where residues of the underlayer at regions pressed with the protrusions of the mold are evaporated by heating to be removed, and forming a metal film at least on the patterned underlayer. A nanoimprint lithography material according to the present invention contains a catalyst for a metal plating.

A method of plating a component includes specifying a sample type, specifying an area to be cleaned, programming a laser based on the sample type and specifications of the area to be cleaned, applying laser ablation on a surface of the area to be cleaned, performing surface activation if required, and performing electroless deposition.

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.

The invention provides a heat exchange element comprising a substrate and a coating, wherein the coating is present on at least a part of a flow path defined by the heat exchange element. The coating comprises a metal and has a structure comprising spikes having a length of up to 100 m; the average length of the spikes various throughout the coating. The invention also provides a method of transferring heat to or from a fluid which comprises providing the fluid to a flow path of the heat exchange element of the invention. The invention further provides a process for producing a heat exchange element of the invention, wherein the process comprises providing an electroless deposition solution to a surface of a substrate. The invention further provides a flow process for producing a heat exchange element and a heat exchange element obtained or obtainable by that process.

Cleaning solution for cleaning and/or wetting metal surfaces, comprising at least one acid, a first surfactant, which is an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of 25 C., a second surfactant, which is selected from the group consisting of i) an alkyl-poly(ethyleneglycol-co-propyleneglycol)-ether having a cloud point of 30 C., ii) an alkyl-polyethyleneglycol-ether having a cloud point of 45 C.
wherein the cloud points are determined according to European Standard EN 1890:2006, item 8.2 of German Version, with the modification that 10 wt % H.sub.2SO.sub.4 is used as solvent and that the concentration of the surfactant is 1000 mg/L.