A thermoset resin for forming parts to be metal plated includes a vat photopolymerization (VPP) thermoset resin and an etchable phase disposed in the VPP thermoset resin. The etchable phase is etched from a surface of a part formed from the VPP thermoset resin such that a plurality of micro-mechanical locking sites is formed on the surface of the part. The etchable phase is at least one of organic particles, organic resins, inorganic particles, and copolymers of the VPP thermoset resin. For example, the etchable phase can be a polybutadiene phase and/or a mineral such as calcium carbonate.

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.

Shielding coatings are applied to polymer substrates for selective metallization of the substrates. The shielding coatings include a primer component and a hydrophobic top coat. The primer is first applied to the polymer substrate followed by application of the top coat component. The shielding coating is then selectively etched to form an outline of a desired current pattern. A catalyst is applied to the patterned polymer substrate followed by electroless metal plating in the etched portions. The portions of the polymer substrate which contain the shielding coating inhibit electroless metal plating. The primers contain five-membered heterocyclic nitrogen compounds and the top coat contains hydrophobic alky organic compounds.

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.

Shielding coatings are applied to polymer substrates for selective metallization of the substrates. The shielding coatings include a primer component and a hydrophobic top coat. The primer is first applied to the polymer substrate followed by application of the top coat component. The shielding coating is then selectively etched to form an outline of a desired current pattern. A catalyst is applied to the patterned polymer substrate followed by electroless metal plating in the etched portions. The portions of the polymer substrate which contain the shielding coating inhibit electroless metal plating. The primers contain aromatic heterocyclic compounds and the top coat contains hydrophobic alky organic compounds.

Metalized plastic substrates, and methods thereof are provided herein. The method includes providing a plastic substrate having a plurality of accelerators dispersed in the plastic substrate. The accelerators have a formula selected from the group consisting of: CuFe.sub.2O.sub.4−δ, Ca.sub.0.25Cu.sub.0.75TiO.sub.3−β, and TiO.sub.2−σ, wherein δ, β, σ denotes oxygen vacancies in corresponding accelerators and 0.05≦δ≦0.8, 0.05≦β≦0.5, and 0.05≦σ≦1.0. The method further includes removing at least a portion of a surface of the plastic substrate to expose at least a first accelerator. The method further includes plating the exposed surface of the plastic substrate to form at least a first metal layer on the at least first accelerator, and then plating the first metal layer to form at least a second metal layer.

The present invention relates to a composition for forming a conductive pattern which allows micro conductive patterns to be formed on various polymeric resin products or resin layers by a very simplified process, a method for forming a conductive pattern using the composition, and a resin structure having the conductive pattern. The composition for forming a conductive pattern comprises: a polymeric resin; and a nonconductive metallic compound including a first metal, a second metal and a third metal, wherein the nonconductive metallic compound has a three-dimensional structure including a plurality of first layers (edge-shared octahedral layers) having a structure in which octahedrons comprising two metals from among the first metal, the second metal and the third metal which share the edges thereof with one another are two-dimensionally connected to one other, and a second layer which includes a metal of a different type from the first layer and is arranged between adjacent first layers, and wherein a metallic core including the first metal, the second metal or the third metal or an ion thereof is formed from the nonconductive metallic compound by electromagnetic radiation.

The present disclosure provides electronic device and methods of manufacturing the electronic devices. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes an outer housing at least partially forming an exterior of the electronic device, a trench including at least one valley and at least one peak, a first conductive member, and a coating layer laminated on the outer housing and disposed on the first conductive member. Each of the at least one valley is concave with respect to a surface of the outer housing. Each of the at least one peak is convex with respect to the surface of the outer housing and has a partially removed end. The trench is plated with the first conductive member.

A method of forming an etched part includes forming a substrate including a thermoset resin and etching a surface of the substrate. The thermoset resin includes a vat photopolymerization (VPP) thermoset resin and at least one of an etchable phase and etchable particles disposed within the VPP thermoset resin. The etching removes the etchable phase from the VPP thermoset resin at the surface of the substrate such that a plurality of micro-mechanical bonding sites are formed on an etched surface of the substrate.

A thermoset resin for forming parts to be metal plated includes a vat photopolymerization (VPP) thermoset resin and an etchable phase disposed in the VPP thermoset resin. The etchable phase is etched from a surface of a part formed from the VPP thermoset resin such that a plurality of micro-mechanical locking sites is formed on the surface of the part. The etchable phase is at least one of organic particles, organic resins, inorganic particles, and copolymers of the VPP thermoset resin. For example, the etchable phase can be a polybutadiene phase and/or a mineral such as calcium carbonate.