An electroless plating process that enables reduction in production costs and a two-layer plating film obtained by the process including an electroless plating process for forming a nickel plating film and a gold plating film in this order on a surface of a copper material by a electroless plating method. The electroless plating process includes a step of forming a nickel plating film containing boron by a reductive electroless nickel strike plating method, and a step of forming a gold plating film by a reductive electroless gold plating method. The two-layer plating film according to the present disclosure is formed by this process.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for the electroless metallization of a target surface of at least one workpiece (5), having a vessel (10) to accommodate a metallization solution having an inlet (15) and an outlet (16) for the metallization solution, and a holder (20) for accommodating the at least one workpiece (5) and can be arranged within the vessel (10), wherein at least one diffuser plate (30) is provided between the at least one inlet (15) and the holder (20) and has a multitude of diffuser openings (35) spaced apart in a plane of a plate (E), and wherein a movement device (40) is provided, which can move the diffuser plate (30) in at least one spatial direction in the vessel (10). The present invention further relates to a method for the electroless metallization of the target surface of the at least one workpiece (5).

A method for fabricating a circuit board comprises preparing an elastomeric substrate having a roughened surface. The elastomeric substrate is stretched before an electrically conductive material is electrolessly deposited onto the roughened surface. A suitable amount of electrically conductive material is deposited onto the elastomeric substrate before the elastomeric substrate is released from its stretch.

A method is provided for subtractively processing a layer of etchable material formed over an electrically conductive surface region of a workpiece. The workpiece is immersed in a liquid solution, generally but not exclusively a conductive solution, that comprises an etchant for the etchable material, so that etching of the etchable material is initiated. An electric circuit is connected to include a control electrode, a reference electrode, and the electrically conductive surface region of the workpiece. The electric circuit is used to monitor the development process dynamically at each of a plurality of intervals during the etching. The etching is terminated when the electrochemical signal satisfies a criterion indicating that the etching is complete.

Vacuum-integrated photoresist-less methods and apparatuses for forming metal hardmasks can provide sub-30 nm patterning resolution. A metal-containing (e.g., metal salt or organometallic compound) film that is sensitive to a patterning agent is deposited on a semiconductor substrate. The metal-containing film is then patterned directly (i.e., without the use of a photoresist) by exposure to the patterning agent in a vacuum ambient to form the metal mask. For example, the metal-containing film is photosensitive and the patterning is conducted using sub-30 nm wavelength optical lithography, such as EUV lithography.

A process of forming a thin film photoactive layer of an optoelectronic device comprising: providing a substrate having a surface comprising or coated with a metal M selected from at least one of Pb, Sn, Ge, Si, Ti, Bi, or In; and converting the metal surface or metal coating of the substrate to a perovskite layer.

An impeller for a rotary machine includes: a base material of the impeller comprising Al or an Al alloy; a surface layer for the impeller formed by an electroless plating layer comprising a Ni—P based alloy; and an under layer disposed between the base material and the surface layer, the under layer having a smaller Vickers hardness than the surface layer.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) enhancement agent includes a plurality of particles, each particle including: a metal core; a dielectric shell disposed on the metal core comprising at least one MRI contrast agent; and a metal shell disposed on the exterior surface of the dielectric shell that encapsulates the dielectric shell.

A substrate processing apparatus can suppress particle generation on a substrate, and can reduce a consumption amount of a processing liquid. A substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a processing chamber 30 having a processing space 31 in which a substrate W is processed; a vaporizing tank 60, configured to store the processing liquid therein, having a vaporization space 61 in which the stored processing liquid is allowed to be vaporized; a decompression driving unit 70 configured to decompress the vaporization space 61; and a control unit 18. The control unit 18 vaporizes the processing liquid into the processing gas by decompressing the vaporization space 61 without through the processing space 31, and then, vaporizes the processing liquid into the processing gas by decompressing the vaporization space 61 through the processing space 31, and supplies an inert gas into the vaporization space 61.

An electroless nickel or cobalt plating solution, comprising nickel ions or cobalt ions, Ti.sup.3+ ions as reducing agent for reducing said nickel ions and cobalt ions, at least one accelerator selected from the group consisting of sulfites, dithionites, thiosulfates, tetrathionates, polythionates, disulfites, sulfides, disulfide, polysulfide, elemental sulfur and mixtures thereof; and one or more than one complexing agent,
wherein the pH value of the plating solution is from 5 to 10.5.