A circuit layer is formed by drilling vias and forming channels in a circuit layer which has catalytic particles exposed on the surfaces, channels, and vias. A first flash electroless deposition is followed by application of dry film, followed by selective laser ablation of the dry film channels and vias. A second electroless solution is applied which provides additional deposition over the first flash electroless deposition but only on the vias and trace channel areas. An electrodeposition follows, using the first deposition as a cathode. The dry film is stripped and the first electroless layer is etched, leaving only depositions in the channels and vias.

A process of pretreatment for selective application of electroless metallization to a surface of a non-conductive material and a solution useful for the pretreatment are provided. The process achieves good coverage in areas to be plated on the surface of non-conductive materials without skip plating or over plating.

A method of producing a film-attached resin base may include supplying a surface treatment gas including at least fluorine gas to a resin base including reinforcing fibers so that embrittled regions are formed in a surface of the resin base and the reinforcing fiber present near the surface of the resin base is modified at least partially; removing at least the embrittled regions so that an uneven surface is formed on the resin base and the reinforcing fiber is at least partially exposed in the uneven surface; and forming a film onto the uneven surface of the resin base.

A method for producing metal patterns, which includes depositing a temporary protection on a substrate surface corresponding to the negative of the patterns to be produced; depositing at least one metal on the areas corresponding to the patterns to be produced; and eliminating the temporary protection at least partly during and/or after, or at least partly during and/or after the deposition step. The method can produce decorative objects or functional objects such as printed circuits, integrated circuits, RFID chips, and electronic reader-readable encoding pictograms. A set of consumables used to implement the method is also disclosed.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques for providing an apparatus with a substrate provided with plasma treatment. In some instances, the apparatus may include a substrate with a surface that comprises a metal layer to provide signal routing in the apparatus. The metal layer may be provided in response to a plasma treatment of the surface with a functional group containing a gas (e.g., nitrogen-based gas), to provide absorption of a transition metal catalyst into the surface, and subsequent electroless plating of the surface with a metal. The transition metal catalyst is to enhance electroless plating of the surface with the metal. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

A plated material containing a base material and a metal plating that covers the base material, the base material containing a main raw material free of any carbon materials, and a carbon material that is present inside the main raw material. A plating pretreatment method including a first step of preparing a base material from a main raw material free of any carbon materials and a carbon material, the base material containing the main raw material and the carbon material that is present inside the main raw material; and a second step of charging the base material into a treatment tank, and immersing the base material in a supercritical fluid or subcritical fluid containing an organometallic complex of palladium in the treatment tank.

A method for applying a metal on a substrate comprises: a) applying a coating by treatment in a plasma, comprising a compound selected from alkanes up to 10 carbon atoms, and unsaturated monomers, and b1) producing polymers on the surface of the substrate, the polymers comprising carboxylic groups and adsorbed ions of a second metal, reducing the ions to the second metal, or alternatively b2) producing polymers on the surface, bringing the surface of the substrate in contact with a dispersion of colloidal metal particles of at least one second metal, and c) depositing the first metal on the second metal. Advantages include that materials sensitive to, for instance, low pH or solvents can be coated. Substrates including glass, SiO.sub.2 with very few or no abstractable hydrogen atoms as well as polymer materials containing halogen atoms can be coated with good adhesion.

Aqueous dispersions of artificially synthesized, mussel-inspired polydopamine nanoparticles were inkjet printed on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Narrow line patterns (4 m in width) of polydopamine resulted due to evaporatively driven transport (coffee ring effect). The printed patterns were metallized via a site-selective Cu electroless plating process at a controlled temperature (30 C.) for varied bath times. The lowest electrical resistivity value of the plated Cu lines was about 6 times greater than the bulk resistivity of Cu. This process presents an industrially viable way to fabricate Cu conductive fine patterns for flexible electronics at low temperature, and low cost.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe techniques for providing an apparatus with a substrate provided with plasma treatment. In some instances, the apparatus may include a substrate with a surface that comprises a metal layer to provide signal routing in the apparatus. The metal layer may be provided in response to a plasma treatment of the surface with a functional group containing a gas (e.g., nitrogen-based gas), to provide absorption of a transition metal catalyst into the surface, and subsequent electroless plating of the surface with a metal. The transition metal catalyst is to enhance electroless plating of the surface with the metal. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Aqueous dispersions of artificially synthesized, mussel-inspired polyopamine nanoparticles were inkjet printed on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. Narrow line patterns (4 m in width) of polydopamine resulted due to evaporatively driven transport (coffee ring effect). The printed patterns were metallized via a site-selective Cu electroless plating process at a controlled temperature (30 C.) for varied bath times. The lowest electrical resistivity value of the plated Cu lines was about 6 times greater than the bulk resistivity of Cu. This process presents an industrially viable way to fabricate Cu conductive fine patterns for flexible electronics at low temperature, and low cost.