The present invention relates to a composition of an etching solution and a process for metallizing electrically nonconductive plastic surfaces of articles using the etching solution. The etching solution is based on a stabilized acidic permanganate solution. After the treatment with the etching solution, the articles can be metallized.

Method for producing metallic surface discharge electrodes on nonmetallic substrates comprising the following steps: a) producing a metallic seed layer on a substrate; b) electrically contacting the seed layer with a metal wire network and an electrolyte containing metal ions; c) electrodepositing a metal film from the electrolyte at least on the seed layer, with the metal wire network being embedded into the metal film, wherein d) metal wire filaments that are movable relative to one another are arranged to form an electrically percolating metal wire network, e) the arrangement of the metal wire filaments is cast into a gel and the gel is dried thereafter to the gel matrix, and f) the dried gel matrix with the metal wire network embedded therein is applied to the substrate and is wetted with a solvent of the gel matrix. Furthermore, the invention relates to a semifinished product for carrying out the method.

A method of hardfacing a component includes generating a laser beam and directing the laser beam to an area of a wear surface of the component. The method includes feeding a flexible cord of a cladding material into the laser beam to melt the flexible cord and produce a bead of the cladding material on the wear surface. The flexible cord includes an inner metal wire surrounded by an agglomerate of abrasion and wear-resistant material that contains diamond particles. The method further includes moving the laser beam and the flexible cord along the wear surface to produce a cladding layer over the wear surface of the component.

A method of hardfacing a component includes generating a laser beam and directing the laser beam to an area of a wear surface of the component. The method includes feeding a flexible cord of a cladding material into the laser beam to melt the flexible cord and produce a bead of the cladding material on the wear surface. The flexible cord includes an inner metal wire surrounded by an agglomerate of abrasion and wear-resistant material that contains diamond particles. The method further includes moving the laser beam and the flexible cord along the wear surface to produce a cladding layer over the wear surface of the component.

A process for producing a highly conducting film of conductor-bonded graphene sheets that are highly oriented, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene dispersion or graphene oxide (GO) gel; (b) depositing the dispersion or gel onto a supporting solid substrate under a shear stress to form a wet layer; (c) drying the wet layer to form a dried layer having oriented graphene sheets or GO molecules with an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) heat treating the dried layer at a temperature from 55 C. to 3,200 C. for a desired length of time to produce a porous graphitic film having pores and constituent graphene sheets or a 3D network of graphene pore walls having an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 less than 0.4 nm; and (e) impregnating the porous graphitic film with a conductor material that bonds the constituent graphene sheets or graphene pore walls to form the conducting film.

A process for producing a highly conducting film of conductor-bonded graphene sheets that are highly oriented, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene dispersion or graphene oxide (GO) gel; (b) depositing the dispersion or gel onto a supporting solid substrate under a shear stress to form a wet layer; (c) drying the wet layer to form a dried layer having oriented graphene sheets or GO molecules with an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 of 0.4 nm to 1.2 nm; (d) heat treating the dried layer at a temperature from 55 C. to 3,200 C. for a desired length of time to produce a porous graphitic film having pores and constituent graphene sheets or a 3D network of graphene pore walls having an inter-planar spacing d.sub.002 less than 0.4 nm; and (e) impregnating the porous graphitic film with a conductor material that bonds the constituent graphene sheets or graphene pore walls to form the conducting film.

A plating system is provided. The plating system includes an electroplating chamber defining a plating region within which a wafer is plated. The electroplating chamber includes an inlet configured to introduce plating solution into the plating region of the electroplating chamber. The electroplating chamber includes an outlet configured to remove the plating solution from the plating region of the electroplating chamber. The plating system includes a barrier configured to inhibit removal of the plating solution from the plating region.

A plating system is provided. The plating system includes an electroplating chamber defining a plating region within which a wafer is plated. The electroplating chamber includes an inlet configured to introduce plating solution into the plating region of the electroplating chamber. The electroplating chamber includes an outlet configured to remove the plating solution from the plating region of the electroplating chamber. The plating system includes a barrier configured to inhibit removal of the plating solution from the plating region.

An electrochemical plating apparatus for depositing a conductive material on a wafer includes a cell chamber. The plating solution is provided from a bottom of the cell chamber into the cell chamber. A plurality of openings passes through a sidewall of the cell chamber. A flow regulator is arranged with each of the plurality of openings configured to regulate an overflow amount of the plating solution flowing out through the each of the plurality of openings. The electrochemical plating apparatus further comprises a controller to control the flow regulator such that overflow amounts of the plating solution flowing out through the plurality of openings are substantially equal to each other.

An electrochemical plating apparatus for depositing a conductive material on a wafer includes a cell chamber. The plating solution is provided from a bottom of the cell chamber into the cell chamber. A plurality of openings passes through a sidewall of the cell chamber. A flow regulator is arranged with each of the plurality of openings configured to regulate an overflow amount of the plating solution flowing out through the each of the plurality of openings. The electrochemical plating apparatus further comprises a controller to control the flow regulator such that overflow amounts of the plating solution flowing out through the plurality of openings are substantially equal to each other.