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 method produces a composite from a conductive structure, a carrier made of non-conductive carrier material made from thermosetting plastic, and at least one electronic component by laser radiation. The non-conductive carrier material having an additive, which is configured to subsequently form a catalytically active species in an electroless metallization bath by irradiation with the laser radiation. The method includes: forming the conductive structure being by irradiation using pulsed laser radiation having a pulse duration of less than 100 picoseconds and subsequent electroless metallization. A pulse repetition rate is set such that consecutive pulses of the pulsed laser radiation in an area of the additive to be activated or an additive area are diverted mutually overlapping onto the additive or the additive area.

The present invention provides a precursor film for producing a conductive film, the precursor film including: a substrate; and a plated layer precursor layer disposed on the substrate, in which the plated layer precursor layer includes a polyfunctional monomer, a monofunctional monomer, and a polymer which has a functional group interacting with a plating catalyst or a precursor of the plating catalyst and has a polymerizable functional group.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as powder bed fusion of thermoplastic particulates, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of printed objects. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced during additive manufacturing processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a thermoplastic printing composition, converting a portion of the metal precursor to discontinuous metal islands using laser irradiation, and performing electroless plating. Suitable printing compositions may comprise a plurality of thermoplastic particulates comprising a thermoplastic polymer, a metal precursor admixed with the thermoplastic polymer, and optionally a plurality of nanoparticles disposed upon an outer surface of each of the thermoplastic particulates, wherein the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon exposure to laser irradiation. Melt emulsification may be used to form the thermoplastic particulates.

Provided is a resin composition for laser direct structuring on which a plating can be formed and demonstrating low loss tangent, a molded article, and, a method for manufacturing a plated molded article. The resin composition for laser direct structuring contains a polycarbonate resin and a laser direct structuring additive, and the polycarbonate resin containing 5% by mass or more, relative to all structural units, of a structural unit represented by formula (1). In formula (1), each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, and W.sup.1 represents a single bond or a divalent group).

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An encapsulation of laser direct structuring (LDS) material is molded onto first and second semiconductor dice. A die-to-die coupling formation between the first and second semiconductor dice includes die vias extending through the LDS material to reach the first and second semiconductor dice and a die-to-die line extending at a surface of the encapsulation between the die vias. After laser activating and structuring selected locations of the surface of the encapsulation for the die vias and die-to-die line, the locations are placed into contact with an electrode that provides an electrically conductive path. Metal material is electrolytically grown onto the locations of the encapsulation by exposure to an electrolyte carrying metal cations. The metal cations are reduced to metal material via a current flowing through the electrically conductive path provided via the electrode. The electrode is then disengaged from contact with the locations having metal material electrolytically grown thereon.

A circuit board is formed from a catalytic laminate having a resin rich surface with catalytic particles dispersed below a surface exclusion depth. Trace channels and apertures are formed into the catalytic laminate, electroless plated with a metal such as copper, filled with a conductive paste containing metallic particles, which are then melted to form traces. In a variation, multiple circuit board layers have channels formed into the surface below the exclusion depth, apertures formed, are electroless plated, and the channels and apertures filled with metal particles. Several such catalytic laminate layers are placed together and pressed together under elevated temperature until the catalytic laminate layers laminate together and metal particles form into traces for a multi-layer circuit board.

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.