A method of preparing a non-conductive substrate to allow metal plating thereon. The method includes the steps of a) contacting the non-conductive substrate with a conditioner comprising a conditioning agent; b) applying a carbon-based dispersion to the conditioned substrate, wherein the carbon-based dispersion comprises carbon or graphite particles dispersed in a liquid solution; and c) etching the non-conductive substrate. The etching step is performed before the liquid carbon-based dispersion dries on the non-conductive substrate.

A stretchable and transparent electronic structure may generally include a stretchable elastomer layer; optionally, a metal adhesion layer on top of the stretchable elastomer layer; a metal alloying layer on top of the metal adhesion layer; and a liquid metal, wherein the structure is colorless and transparent when viewed under visible light. Methods of making the stretchable and transparent electronic structure are also described.

A method of forming a solderable solder deposit on a contact pad, comprising the steps of providing an organic, non-conductive substrate which exposes said contact pad under an opening of a first non-conductive resist layer, depositing a conductive layer inside and outside the opening such that an activated surface results, thereby forming an activated opening, electrolytically depositing nickel or nickel alloy into the activated opening such that nickel/nickel alloy is deposited onto the activated surface, electrolytically depositing tin or tin alloy onto the nickel/nickel alloy, with the proviso that the electrolytic deposition of later steps results in an entirely filled activated opening, wherein the entirely filled activated opening is completely filled with said nickel/nickel alloy, or in the entirely filled activated opening the total volume of nickel/nickel alloy is higher than the total volume of tin and tin alloy, based on the total volume of the entirely filled activated opening.

Disclosed is a method for the production of electroplated components. In the disclosed method, an edge layer of a component to be coated is subjected to a mechanical treatment in which the edge layer is deformed at least in portions, consequently the structure of the edge layer being modified at least in portions and hydrogen traps being produced in the modified portions of the edge layer.

Disclosed is a method for the production of electroplated components. In the disclosed method, an edge layer of a component to be coated is subjected to a mechanical treatment in which the edge layer is deformed at least in portions, consequently the structure of the edge layer being modified at least in portions and hydrogen traps being produced in the modified portions of the edge layer.

A method of creating a selectively plated three-dimensional thermoplastic part. The method includes the steps of: a) providing a film of uncured polycarbonate film having a hardcoated layer on a first surface thereof; b) selectively catalyzing the polycarbonate film by depositing a catalyst in a desired pattern on the first surface of the polycarbonate film; c) thermoforming the polycarbonate film to form a three-dimensional polycarbonate film; d) UV-curing the hardcoated polycarbonate film by irradiating the film with UV rays; e) molding the hardcoated polycarbonate film to produce a three-dimensional molded part comprising the hardcoated polycarbonate film; f) activating the selectively catalyzed hardcoated polycarbonate film; and g) plating a metal layer on the catalyzed portions of the hardcoated polycarbonate film, wherein the plated metal only deposits on the catalyzed portions of the hardcoated polycarbonate film.

Graphene electrodes-based supercapacitors are in demand due to superior electrochemical characteristics. However, commercial applications have been limited by inferior electrode cycle life. A method to fabricate highly efficient supercapacitor electrodes using pristine graphene sheets vertically-stacked and electrically connected to the carbon fibers which results in vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber nanostructure is disclosed. The vertically-aligned graphene-carbon fiber electrode prepared by electrophoretic deposition possesses a mesoporous three-dimensional architecture which enabled faster and efficient electrolyte-ion diffusion with a specific capacitance of 333.3 F g.sup.−1. The electrodes have electrochemical cycling stability of more than 100,000 cycles with 100% capacitance retention. Apart from the electrochemical double layer charge storage, the oxygen-containing surface moieties and α-Ni(OH).sub.2 present on the graphene sheets enhance the charge storage by faradaic reactions. This enables the assembled device to provide a gravimetric energy density of 76 W h kg.sup.−1 with a 100% capacitance retention even after 1,000 bending cycles.

A stretchable and transparent electronic structure may generally include a stretchable elastomer layer; optionally, a metal adhesion layer on top of the stretchable elastomer layer; a metal alloying layer on top of the metal adhesion layer; and a liquid metal, wherein the structure is colorless and transparent when viewed under visible light. Methods of making the stretchable and transparent electronic structure are also described.

A method for manufacturing a ceramic electronic component in which a plated electrode can be formed in a region of the surface of a ceramic base body formed of a titanium-containing metal oxide. The method includes preparing a ceramic base body containing a titanium-containing metal oxide, forming a low-resistance section by modifying the metal oxide through irradiation of part of a surface layer portion of the ceramic base body with a pulse laser with a peak power density of 1×10.sup.6 W/cm.sup.2 to 1×10.sup.9 W/cm.sup.2 and a frequency of 500 kHz or less, and forming an electrode on the low-resistance section by electroplating. The laser irradiation generates an O defect in a titanium-containing metal oxide, such as BaTiO.sub.3 to form an n-type semiconductor. Since this semiconductor section has a lower resistance value than the metal oxide, plating metal can be selectively deposited by electroplating.

A method for manufacturing a ceramic electronic component in which a plated electrode can be formed in a region of the surface of a ceramic base body formed of a titanium-containing metal oxide. The method includes preparing a ceramic base body containing a titanium-containing metal oxide, forming a low-resistance section by modifying the metal oxide through irradiation of part of a surface layer portion of the ceramic base body with a pulse laser with a peak power density of 1×10.sup.6 W/cm.sup.2 to 1×10.sup.9 W/cm.sup.2 and a frequency of 500 kHz or less, and forming an electrode on the low-resistance section by electroplating. The laser irradiation generates an O defect in a titanium-containing metal oxide, such as BaTiO.sub.3 to form an n-type semiconductor. Since this semiconductor section has a lower resistance value than the metal oxide, plating metal can be selectively deposited by electroplating.