A discretized-flow electrode for use in electrochemical machining (ECM) and a corresponding method and system for using the discretized-flow cathode are disclosed. The machining face of the discretized-flow cathode is divided into a plurality of discrete sections. The discrete sections may be geometrically shaped, and they are separated at the machining face by an electrolyte flow outlet channel, and each discrete section includes an electrolyte flow inlet local to the discrete section. The plurality of discrete sections of the machining face of the discretized-flow electrode divide the electrolyte flow into approximately equal portions for even electrolyte flow across the machining face.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of a printed object. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced in conjunction with fused filament fabrication processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a polymer filament having a filament body comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and forming a printed object from the polymer filament through layer-by-layer deposition, in which the metal precursor remains substantially unconverted to metal while forming the printed object. Suitable polymer filaments compatible with fused filament fabrication may comprise a thermoplastic polymer defining a filament body, and a metal precursor contacting the filament body, in which the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon laser irradiation.

Provided is a molded circuit component 300 in which a metal layer 200 is formed with high adhesion by giving a degree of freedom to a base material 100. In the molded circuit component 300 in which the metal layer 200 is formed in a processing region 110 in the base material 100, a plurality of recesses 120 each having a plurality of holes 130 are continuously formed in the processing region 110, the processing region 110 has a ratio of a width to a maximum depth with respect to a surface of the base material 100 of 10:1 to 6:1, the processing region 110 is formed to have a width in a range of 20 μm to 200 μm, and formed to have a maximum depth with respect to the surface of the base material 100 in a range of 2 μm to 30 μm, the metal layer 200 can be formed in the processing region 110 by laminating using a plating method, and a catalyst that reacts with a metal that forms the metal layer 200 at the time of the lamination is attached to the holes 130 and the recesses 120.

A method for plating a work piece includes forming a work piece, where the work piece includes first and second segments that are electrically isolated. The first segment is connected in a first circuit and the second segment is connected in a second circuit. The first circuit may include a first power source and the second circuit may include a second power source. The work piece and the first and second segments may be disposed in a common solution, and current may be applied in the first circuit and the second circuit to create first and second metal surfaces. The first and second metal surfaces may be made from the same base metal. The first and second metal surfaces may be created simultaneously, with the work piece and the first and second segments disposed in a common solution.

Catalyst ink may be directly printed to a substrate using a stamp. Printed catalyst ink may converted to a pattern of one or more metal traces. Materials for a stamp and/or a substrate, and/or components of a catalyst ink, may be selected based on attraction of one or more of components of the catalyst ink to one or more print surfaces of the substrate and/or to one or more write surfaces of the stamp.

The present disclosure relates to LDS materials comprising a first coating layer comprising a first LDS additive, and a base substrate, wherein the coating layer contacts the base substrate. Articles formed from the LDS materials are also disclosed that include a conductive path and a metal layer deposited on the activated path. Methods for making the LDS materials and corresponding articles are also described.

Two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles may facilitate preparation of metal coatings prepared via electroless plating. Articles having a metal coating may comprise: a polymer body, and a metal coating on at least a portion of an outer surface of the polymer body. The metal coating comprises a plating metal and overlays a plurality of two-dimensional conductive nanoparticles and a catalyst metal.

Walls of through-holes and vias of substrates with dielectric material are electroless plated with copper using tin-free ionic silver catalysts. Conductive polymers are first formed on the substrates by treating the substrates with a permanganate solution containing complexing anions followed by applying monomers, oligomers or conductive polymers to the substrate to form a conductive polymer coating on the dielectric of the substrate as well as on the walls of through-holes and vias of the substrate. A tin-free ionic silver catalyst is then applied to the treated substrate. Optionally, the tin-free ionic silver catalyst can include a ligand agent to form a coordination entity with the silver ions of the tin-free catalyst. The silver ions of the tin-free catalyst are reduced by the conductive polymer and then an electroless metal copper bath is applied to the treated substrate to copper plate the dielectric and walls of the through-holes and vias of the substrate.

The present invention provides a plating method capable of easily performing various decorative plating processes. The plating method includes a bulge forming process of forming a bulge on an object to be plated by ejecting ink drops of first UV-curable ink from an inkjet head such that the ejected ink drops land on the object, and a plating process of plating the object having the bulge formed thereon, after the bulge forming process. Also, in the bulge forming process, the bulge is formed such that a second surface of the bulge to be plated has surface roughness different from that of a first surface of the object to be plated.

A sheet material includes a resin layer containing a binder and catalyst particles, an electroless plating film on the side of one main surface of the resin layer and including first electroless plating films and a second electroless plating film, and a base material on the side of the other main surface of the resin layer.