Abstract: To improve the transmission properties of antennae manufactured with known methods, more specifically antennae for application in the UHF range, a method is proposed of producing pattern-forming metal structures on a carrier substrate. The method comprises the following method steps: providing the carrier substrate, forming the pattern on the carrier substrate with a composite material containing dispersed metal, bringing the carrier substrate into contact with halide ions, and thereafter depositing a metal layer onto the pattern formed by the composite material, producing thereby metal structures.

Abstract: A method for degrading, detackifying and reducing solvent in water comprising organic solvent-laden water-borne paint that comprises adding to the water an effective degrading, detackifying and/or solvent-reducing amount of at least one microorganism culture and sufficient micronutrients to sustain the growth of the at least one microorgansim culture and to reduce solvent content of the water. A method of reducing chemical oxygen demand in water comprising organic solvent-laden water-borne paint, wherein the water contains an excess amount of organic solvent from one or both of paint spray operations and paint spray nozzle cleaning operations, the method comprising adding to the water an effective degrading and detackifying amount of at least one microorganism culture and micronutrients to sustain the growth of the at least one microorgansim culture, whereby chemical oxygen demand in the water is reduced by at least 50% relative to the same system without adding the micronutrients.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for electroless (immersion) plating of tin and tin alloys having a thickness of?1 ?m as a final finish in the manufacture of printed circuit boards, IC substrates, semiconductor wafers and the like. The method utilizes an electroless plated sacrificial layer of copper between the copper contact pad and the electroless plated tin layer which is dissolved completely during tin plating. The method compensates the undesired loss of copper from a contact pad during electroless plating of thick tin layers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treating copper or copper alloy surfaces for tight bonding to polymeric substrates, for example solder masks found in multilayer printed circuit boards. The substrate generally is a semiconductor-device, a lead frame or a printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electrodeposited crystalline functional chromium deposit which is nanogranular as deposited, and the deposit may be both TEM and XRD crystalline or may be TEM crystalline and XRD amorphous. In various embodiments, the deposit includes one or any combination of two or more of an alloy of chromium, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur; a {111} preferred orientation; an average crystal grain cross-sectional area of less than about 500 nm2; and a lattice parameter of 2.8895+/?0.0025 A. A process and an electrodeposition bath for electrodepositing the nanogranular crystalline functional chromium deposit on a substrate, including providing the electrodeposition bath including trivalent chromium, a source of divalent sulfur, a carboxylic acid, a source of nitrogen and being substantially free of hexavalent chromium; immersing a substrate in the bath; and applying an electrical current to electrodeposit the deposit on the substrate.

Abstract: In order to be able to produce high density circuits on a dielectric substrate wherein the conductor lines of said circuit have a good adhesion to the dielectric substrate surface, a method is provided which comprises the following method steps: a) providing an auxiliary substrate having two sides, at least one of said sides having an electrically conductive surface; b) treating at least one of the at least one electrically conductive surface with at least one release layer forming compound, the at least one release layer forming compound being a heterocyclic compound having at least one thiol group, c) forming a patterned resist coating on at least one of said at least one electrically conductive surface which has been treated with said at least one release layer forming compound, the patterned resist coating having at least one resist opening thereby exposing the electrically conductive surface; d) forming an electrically conductive pattern in the at least one resist opening by electrodepositing a metal on

Abstract: In order to remove treatment liquid (21) from a planar material to be treated (10), which is transported in an assembly for wet-chemical treatment of the material to be treated (10), a retaining surface (4, 14) is provided for holding back the treatment liquid (21). The retaining surface (4, 14) is arranged relative to a transport path of the material to be treated (10) so that a gap (8, 18) remains between the retaining surface (4, 14) and a surface of the material to be treated (10) opposing the retaining surface (4, 14), when the material to be treated (10) is moved past the retaining surface (4, 14). The retaining surface (4, 14) may, for example, be provided as an offset portion of a peripheral surface of a roll (2, 3).

Abstract: In order to transport a flat material to be treated (21) in an installation for the chemical and/or electrochemical treatment of said material, within which the material to be treated (21) is transported within a plane of transport in a direction of transport (5), holding means (22, 25) are attached to said material to be treated (21). The holding means (22, 25) hold the material to be treated (21) at at least two points on an edge region of said material, which edge region is directed along the direction of transport (5) when said material to be treated (21) is being transported. The holding means (22, 25) are coupled in a detachable manner to a transporting device (41) which moves said holding means (22, 25) in the direction of transport in order to transport the material to be treated (21).

Abstract: Described is a new process for applying a metal coating to a non-conductive substrate comprising the steps of (a) contacting the substrate with an activator comprising a noble metal/group IVA metal sol to obtain a treated substrate, (b) contacting said treated substrate with a composition comprising a solution of: (i) a Cu(II), Ag, Au or Ni soluble metal salt or mixtures thereof, (ii) 0.05 to 5 mol/l of a group IA metal hydroxide and (iii) a complexing agent for an ion of the metal of said metal salt, wherein an iminosuccinic acid or a derivative thereof is used as said complexing agent.

Abstract: In order to remove treatment liquid (21) from a planar material to be treated (10), which is transported in an assembly for the electrolytic or wet-chemical treatment of the material to be treated (10), or to promote the exchange of material on the surface of the material to be treated (10), a roll with a roll surface (4, 14) is provided. The roll surface (4, 14) is arranged relative to a transport path of the material to be treated (10) so that a gap (8, 18) remains between the roll surface (4, 14) and a useful region of the material to be treated (10) opposing the roll surface (4, 14), which extends over the useful region. The roll is driven rotatably so that at the gap (8, 18) a relative speed is produced between the roll surface (4, 14) and the material to be treated (10).

Abstract: The invention relates to a control of etching processes of insulating substrates by means of gloss measurement. By this method a surface roughness can be achieved which leads to good adhesion of metals layers deposited in subsequent metallization steps. This method is particularly suited for the production of printed circuit boards.

Abstract: The present invention is to provide a chrome-plated part having a corrosion resistance in normal and specific circumstances and not requiring additional treatments after chrome plating, and to provide a manufacturing method of such a chrome plated part. The chrome -plated part 1 includes: a substrate 2; a bright nickel plating layer 5b formed over the substrate 2; a noble potential nickel plating layer 5a formed on the bright nickel plating layer 5b. An electric potential difference between the bright nickel plating layer 5b and the noble potential nickel plating layer 5a is within a range from 40 mV to 150 mV. The chrome-plated part 1 further includes: a trivalent chrome plating layer 6 formed on the noble potential nickel plating layer 5a and having at least any one of a microporous structure and a microcrack structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polyvinylammonium compound, to a method of manufacturing said compound, to an aqueous acidic solution containing at least said Polyvinylammonium compound for electrolytically depositing a copper deposit as well as to a method of electrolytically depositing a copper deposit using said aqueous acidic solution, said polyinylammonium compound corresponding to the general chemical formula (1): as well as to polyvinylammonium compounds of the general chemical formula (1), wherein one of the monomer units or both having indices I and m are present in the neutral form.

Abstract: Method for producing a plastic layer having a layer thickness of less than 200 ?m on an upper side of a substrate, comprising the following steps: applying plastic powder to the substrate upper side by means of a powder scattering device, then cleaning the substrate underside, then melting the applied plastic powder in a furnace, as a result of which the plastic layer is formed on the substrate, and cooling the substrate, wherein the substrate is transported continuously from method step to method step.

Abstract: To form high performance bonding connections suitable for producing micro-structured components made of a plurality of individual layers, bonding by the steps; providing at least two work pieces; forming a metal bonding layer on at least one side of at least one of said at least two work pieces by chemical or electrolytic metal plating method; the metal bonding layer being a nickel/phosphorous alloy having a prescribed phosphorous content and prescribed thickness; forming a bonding arrangement comprising said work pieces so that there is at least one metal bonding layer between said at least two respective work pieces; heating at a prescribed heating rate to a temperature above the melting temperature of the bonding layer; bonding the two work pieces by applying contact pressure within a prescribed range; and cooling at a prescribed rate.

Abstract: For fast and secure determination of the quality of a metal coating as well as of an electrolyte for depositing a metal, in particular for electrolytic deposition of nickel such as of semi-gloss nickel and bright nickel and for analytical control of the deposition electrolyte, a method of inspecting a metal coating is provided, which involves the following method steps: a) depositing the metal coating from a deposition electrolyte onto a working electrode; b) electrolytically dissolving the metal coating through anodic polarisation of the working electrode with respect to a counter electrode, which is in electrolytic contact with the working electrode; c) recording an electrical dissolution potential at the working electrode over time, said potential occurring during a dissolution of the metal coating; and d) determining a time-averaged vale of the dissolution potential.

Abstract: The invention relates to a substrate having a bondable metal coating comprising, in this order, on an Al or Cu surface: (a) a Ni—P layer, (b) a Pd layer and, optionally, (c) an Au layer, wherein the thickness of the Ni—P layer (a) is 0.2 to 10 m, the thickness of the Pd layer (b) is 0.05 to 1.0 m and the thickness of the optional Au layer (c) is 0.01 to 0.5 m, and wherein the Ni—P layer (a) has a P content of 10.5 to 14 wt.-%. The deposit internal stress of the resulting Ni—P/Pd stack is not higher than 34.48 M?Pa (5,000 psi). Further, a process for the preparation of such a substrate is described.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the fabrication of rigid memory disks, including a metal plating composition which impedes deposition of non-metallic particles during a plating process. The plating composition includes at least one sulfated fatty acid ester additive, or mixtures or salts thereof, of formula: wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of OH, OCH2, OCH2CH3, C1-C7 alkyl, linear or branched; R2 selected from H and C1-C7 alkyl, linear or branched; m=1 to about 5; n=2 to about 30; o=0 to about 10; M+ is a metal or pseudo metal ion or H+. The additive has a zeta potential which impedes deposit of non-metallic particles. The invention is further directed to a method for electroless plating utilizing the additive composition in a bath with at least a stabilizing agent, complexing agent and reducing agent and source of metal ions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to treatment units for the wet-chemical or electrolytic treatment of flat workpieces (1), such as metal foils, printed circuit foils or printed circuit boards, in which the workpieces (1) are transported on a conveying path by means of conveying members (6, 6?, 6?, 7). The treatment unit comprises carrier elements (4) with recesses (21), said carrier elements (4) being oriented to be parallel to the conveying path, and at least one module system for carrying the conveying members (6, 6?, 6?, 7) that consist of insertion elements (14, 26), preferably arranged in pairs, the at least one module system being configured such that it registers with and is preferably slidable into the recesses (21) of the carrier elements (4). The treatment unit is preferably utilized in horizontal conveyorized lines.

Abstract: For providing a particularly efficient micro-structured cooler intended more specifically for cooling electronic components, it is proposed to proceed in the following manner to build this cooler: providing a stack of at least two metal foils (1) comprising channels (2) for coolant and one base plate (5) adapted to be brought into thermal contact with the electronic component (4) through a thermal contact surface (6), said metal foils (1) and said base plate (5) being joined together so as to form a single piece of material, said channels (2) having a width b ranging from 100 to 350 ?m, a depth t ranging from 30 to 150 ?m, a mean spacing s ranging from 30 to 300 ?m, residual foil thickness r remaining after formation of the channels (2) in the metal foils (1) ranging from 30 to 300 ?m and said base plate (5) having a thickness g ranging from 100 to 1,000 ?m.