The invention relates to a transparent conductive layer comprising non-conductive areas and conductive areas, wherein the conductive areas comprise an interconnected network of electrically conductive nanoobjects and in the non-conductive areas the nanoobjects are converted into particles and wherein the thickness of the conductive areas and the non-conductive areas differs less than 10 nm. The invention further relates to a process for producing a patterned transparent conductive film, the film comprising a substrate and a transparent conductive layer, and to a process for producing the patterned transparent conductive film.

A method for manufacturing traces of a printed circuit board (PCB) comprises an application of the periodic pulse reverse (PPR) pattern plating process. In the first stage, walls and bottoms in drilled holes of the PCB are modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) so that the vias can be formed by filling with copper and a very thin copper layer can be formed on the substrate through the electroplating process. In the second stage, a pattern of very fine traces with width/space less than 30/30 m is formed on the thin copper layer and then the traces are formed through the PPR pattern plating process. After removing unwanted copper layer, the traces with even thicknesses and square profiles are achieved and thus conform to requirements of the high density interconnection (HDI) technology.

Systems, methods, and devices related to catalyzed metal foils are disclosed. Contemplated metal foils have a bottom surface, preferably roughened to Ra of at least 0.1 ?m, bearing a catalyst material. The metal foils are etchable, typically of aluminum or derivative thereof, and is less than 500 ?m thick. Methods and systems for forming circuits from catalyzed metal foils are also disclosed. The catalyst material bearing surface of the metal foil is applied to a substrate and laminated, in some embodiments with a thermoset resin or thermoplastic resin therebetween or an organic material first coating the catalytic material. The metal foil is removed to expose the catalyst material, and a conductor is plated to the catalyst material.

A method for manufacturing traces of a printed circuit board (PCB) comprises an application of the periodic pulse reverse (PPR) pattern plating process. In the first stage, walls and bottoms in drilled holes of the PCB are modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) so that the vias can be formed by filling with copper and a very thin copper layer can be formed on the substrate through the electroplating process. In the second stage, a pattern of very fine traces with width/space less than 30/30 m is formed on the thin copper layer and then the traces are formed through the PPR pattern plating process. After removing unwanted copper layer, the traces with even thicknesses and square profiles are achieved and thus conform to requirements of the high density interconnection (HDI) technology.

A method of forming a metallic pattern on a substrate is provided. The method includes applying onto a metallic surface, a chemically surface- activating solution having an activating agent that chemically activates the metallic surface; non-impact printing an etch-resist ink on the activated surface to produce an etch resist mask according to a predetermined pattern, wherein at least one ink component within the etch-resist ink undergoes a chemical reaction with the activated metallic surface to immobilize droplets of the etch-resist ink when hitting the activated surface; performing an etching process to remove unmasked metallic portions that are not covered with the etch resist mask; and removing the etch resist mask.

A method of making a device patterned with one or more electrically conductive features includes depositing a conductive material layer over an electrically insulating surface of a substrate, depositing an anti-corrosive material layer over the conductive material layer, and depositing an etch-resist material layer over the anti-corrosive material layer. The etch-resist material layer may be deposited over the anti-corrosive material layer, and the anti-corrosive material layer forming a bi-component etch mask in a pattern resulting in covered portions of the conductive material layer and exposed portions of the conductive material layer, the covered portions being positioned at locations corresponding to one or more conductive features of the device. A wet-etch process is performed to remove the exposed portions of the conductive material layer from the electrically insulating substrate, and the bi-component etch mask is removed to expose the remaining conductive material. Systems and devices relate to devices with patterned features.

A wiring substrate includes a first wiring structure and a second wiring structure. The first wiring structure includes a first insulating layer, which covers a first wiring layer, and a via wiring. A first through hole of the first insulating layer is filled with the via wiring. The second wiring structure includes a second wiring layer and a second insulating layer. The second wiring layer is formed on an upper surface of the first insulating layer and an upper end surface of the via wiring. The second wiring layer partially includes a roughened surface. The second insulating layer is stacked on the upper surface of the first insulating layer and covers the second wiring layer. The second wiring structure has a higher wiring density than the first wiring structure. The roughened surface of the second wiring layer has a smaller surface roughness than the first wiring layer.

A carbene-coated metal foil is produced by applying an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compound to one or more surfaces of a metal foil (e.g., an electrodeposited copper foil having a surface that is smooth and non-oxidized). The NHC compound contains a matrix-reactive pendant group that includes at least one of a vinyl-, allyl-, acrylic-, methacrylic-, styrenic-, amine-, amide- and epoxy-containing moiety capable of reacting with a base polymer (e.g., a vinyl-containing resin such as a polyphenylene oxide/triallyl-isocyanurate (PPO/TAIC) composition). The NHC compound may be synthesized by, for example, reacting a halogenated imidazolium salt (e.g., 1,3-bis(4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride) and an organostannane having a vinyl-containing moiety (e.g., tributyl(vinyl)stannane) in the presence of a palladium catalyst. In some embodiments, an enhanced substrate for a printed circuit board (PCB) is produced by laminating the carbene-coated metal foil to a substrate that includes glass fiber impregnated with the base polymer.

Disclosed is a surface treated copper foil in which the dropping of the roughening particles from the roughening treatment layer provided on the surface of the copper foil is favorably suppressed.

Also disclosed is a surface treated copper foil, comprising a copper foil, a roughening treatment layer on one surface, and/or another roughening treatment layer the other surface of the copper foil, wherein a height of roughening particles of the roughening treatment layer is 5 to 1000 nm from the surface, a color difference ?E*ab according to JIS Z 8730 of a surface of a side of the roughening treatment layer is 65 or less, and a glossiness of the TD of the surface of the side of the roughening treatment layer is 70% or less.

A carbene-coated metal foil is produced by applying an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compound to one or more surfaces of a metal foil (e.g., an electrodeposited copper foil having a surface that is smooth and non-oxidized). The NHC compound contains a matrix-reactive pendant group that includes at least one of a vinyl-, allyl-, acrylic-, methacrylic-, styrenic-, amine-, amide- and epoxy-containing moiety capable of reacting with a base polymer (e.g., a vinyl-containing resin such as a polyphenylene oxide/triallyl-isocyanurate (PPO/TAIC) composition). The NHC compound may be synthesized by, for example, reacting a halogenated imidazolium salt (e.g., 1,3-bis(4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-3-ium chloride) and an organostannane having a vinyl-containing moiety (e.g., tributyl(vinyl)stannane) in the presence of a palladium catalyst. In some embodiments, an enhanced substrate for a printed circuit board (PCB) is produced by laminating the carbene-coated metal foil to a substrate that includes glass fiber impregnated with the base polymer.