A transparent conductive electrode comprising metal nanowires and method of making is described, wherein the transparent conductive electrode has a pencil hardness more than 1H, nanoporous surface having pore sizes less than 25 nm and surface roughness less than 50 nm. The transparent conductive electrode further comprises an index matching layer, having a refractive index between 1.1-1.5 and a thickness between 100-200 nm.

A conductive nanowire film having a high aspect-ratio metal is described. The nanowire film is produced by inducing metal reduction in a concentrated surfactant solution containing metal precursor ions, a surfactant and a reducing agent. The metal nanostructures demonstrate utility in a great variety of applications.

A non-aqueous metal catalytic composition includes (a) a silver complex comprising reducible silver ions, (b) an oxyazinium salt silver ion photoreducing agent, (c) a hindered pyridine, (d) a photocurable component, a non-curable polymer, or combination of a photocurable component and a non-curable polymer, and (e) a photo sensitizer different from all components (a) through (d) in the non-aqueous metal catalytic composition, in an amount of at least 1 weight %. This non-aqueous metal catalytic composition can be used to form silver metal particles in situ during suitable reducing conditions. The silver metal can be provided in a suitable layer or pattern on a substrate, which can then be subsequently subjected to electroless plating to form electrically-conductive layers or patterns for use in various articles or as touch screen displays in electronic devices.

A conductive nanowire film based on a high aspect-ratio metal is disclosed. The nanowire film is produced by inducing metal reduction in a concentrated surfactant solution containing metal precursor ions, a surfactant and a reducing agent. The metal nanostructures demonstrate utility in a great variety of applications.

Reduction/oxidation reagents have been found to be effective to chemically cure a sparse metal nanowire film into a fused metal nanostructured network through evidently a ripening type process. The resulting fused network can provide desirable low sheet resistances while maintaining good optical transparency. The transparent conductive films can be effectively applied as a single conductive ink or through sequential forming of a metal nanowire film with the subsequent addition of a fusing agent. The fused metal nanowire films can be effectively patterned, and the patterned films can be useful in devices, such as touch sensors.

The present disclosure discloses a process for etching a circuit board with alkaline tetraamminecopper (II) sulfate, including an etching solution for etching the circuit board coated with an etching-resist metal layer, where the etching solution includes tetraamminecopper (II) sulfate, a complexed ammonia supply source, and a formate supply source; and the tetraamminecopper (II) sulfate serves as a copper etching agent to etch the circuit board, and the copper etching agent in the etching solution is regenerated by a copper etching agent-oxidation regeneration reaction supply source to maintain an etching rate. The present disclosure solves the production process problem that an etching solution causes corrosion to an etching-resist silver or tin layer in the prior art.

The present disclosure relates to a conductive trace precursor composition comprising a metal salt; 3 to 15 weight % of a reducing solvent selected from a lactam and/or a polyol, and water. Where the reducing solvent is 2-pyrrolidinone, the 2-pyrrolidinone is not present in an amount of 5 weight % or in an amount of 7.5 weight % of the conductive trace precursor composition.

Provided are a component carrier and a method for manufacturing thereof. The component carrier has a stack with at least one electrically conductive layer structure and at least one electrically insulating layer structure. At least one surface of the at least one electrically conductive layer structure is divided in at least one first portion and at least one second portion, with the at least one first portion and the at least one second portion being adjacent one to the other. The at least one first portion has a higher conductivity with respect to that of the at least one second portion. Metallic nanostructures and/or microstructures are provided on the at least one first portion.