Light reflection from a metal mesh touch sensor is reduced or prevented by encasing the metal lines with a passivation coating and including non-reflective nanoparticles in the patterning photoresist. The photoresist is mixed with catalytic nanoparticles wherein the nanoparticles are formed to minimize light reflection. The nanoparticles may be carbon coated metallic particles, or uncoated palladium nanoparticles. Also, a standoff photoresist layer may be included between the substrate and the photoresist composition to prevent reflection from the edges of the metallic lines.

Various inventions are disclosed in the microchip manufacturing arts. Conductive pattern formation by semi-additive processes are disclosed. Further conductive patterns and methods using activated precursors are also disclosed. Aluminum laminated surfaces and methods of circuit formation therefrom are further disclosed. Circuits formed on an aluminum heat sink are also disclosed. The inventive subject mater further discloses methods of electrolytic plating by controlling surface area of an anode.

A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board includes providing an insulating layer, forming a plating seed layer on the insulating layer, forming a first circuit pattern on the plating seed layer and a second circuit pattern on the first circuit pattern, and forming a top metal layer on the second circuit pattern. The second circuit pattern can be thinner than the first circuit pattern, and the top metal layer can be wider than the second circuit pattern.

The disclosed technology generally relates to forming metallization structures for integrated circuit devices by plating, and more particularly to plating metallization structures that are thicker than masking layers used to define the metallization structures. In one aspect, a method of metallizing an integrated circuit device includes plating a first metal on a substrate in a first opening formed through a first masking layer, where the first opening defines a first region of the substrate, and plating a second metal on the substrate in a second opening formed through a second masking layer, where the second opening defines a second region of the substrate. The second opening is wider than the first opening and the second region encompasses the first region of the substrate.

A surface finish for a printed circuit board (PCB) and semiconductor wafer includes a nickel disposed over an aluminum or copper conductive metal surface. A barrier layer including all or fractions of a nitrogen-containing molecule is deposited on the surface of the nickel layer to make a barrier layer/electroless nickel (BLEN) surface finish. The barrier layer allows solder to be reflowed over the surface finish. Optionally, gold (e.g., immersion gold) may be coated over the barrier layer to create a nickel/barrier layer/gold (NBG) surface treatment. Presence of the barrier layer causes the surface treatment to be smoother than a conventional electroless nickel/immersion gold (ENIG) surface finish. Presence of the barrier layer causes a subsequently applied solder joint to be stronger and less subject to brittle failure than conventional ENIG.

A circuit board has a dielectric core, a foil top surface, and a thin foil bottom surface with a foil backing of sufficient thickness to absorb heat from a laser drilling operation to prevent the penetration of the thin foil bottom surface during laser drilling. A sequence of steps including a laser drilling step, removing the foil backing step, electroless plating step, patterned resist step, electroplating step, resist strip step, tin plate step, and copper etch step are performed, which provide dot vias of fine linewidth and resolution.

The disclosed technology generally relates to forming metallization structures for integrated circuit devices by plating, and more particularly to plating metallization structures that are thicker than masking layers used to define the metallization structures. In one aspect, a method of metallizing an integrated circuit device includes plating a first metal on a substrate in a first opening formed through a first masking layer, where the first opening defines a first region of the substrate, and plating a second metal on the substrate in a second opening formed through a second masking layer, where the second opening defines a second region of the substrate. The second opening is wider than the first opening and the second region encompasses the first region of the substrate.

A method of manufacturing support elements for lighting devices includes: providing an elongated, electrically non-conductive substrate with opposed surfaces, with an electrically-conductive layer extending along one of said opposed surfaces, etching said electrically-conductive layer to provide a set of electrically-conductive tracks extending along the non-conductive substrate with at least one portion of the non-conductive substrate left free by the set of electrically-conductive tracks, forming a network of electrically-conductive lines coupleable with at least one light radiation source at said portion of said non-conductive substrate left free by the electrically-conductive tracks. Said forming operation includes selectively removing e.g. via laser etching a further electrically-conductive layer provided on said non-conductive substrate, or printing electrically-conductive material onto the non-conductive substrate. The electrically-conductive tracks and the network of electrically-conductive lines may be coupled with each other e.g. by means of electrically-conductive vias extending through the non-conductive substrate.

A method for fabricating a substrate structure is provided, which includes the steps of: disposing at least a strengthening member on a carrier; sequentially forming a first circuit layer and a dielectric layer on the carrier, wherein the strengthening member is embedded in the dielectric layer; forming a second circuit layer on the dielectric layer; removing the carrier; and forming an insulating layer on the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer. The strengthening member facilitates to reduce thermal warping of the substrate structure.

A method for making a circuit board uses a dielectric core, and at least one thin foil bottom surface with a foil backing of sufficient thickness to absorb heat from a laser drilling operation to prevent the penetration of the thin foil bottom surface during laser drilling. A sequence of steps including a laser drilling step, removing the foil backing step, electroless plating step, patterned resist step, electroplating step, resist strip step, tin plate step, and copper etch step are performed, which provide dot vias of fine linewidth and resolution.