Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for plasma-treating a surface of a substrate, in particular a dielectric substrate, the method including the following steps: (t) wet-chemical treating the surface of the substrate with treatment solutions of a desmear process, to obtain a wet-chemical treated surface of the substrate, (i) treating a surface of the substrate with a plasma beam under atmospheric pressure, to obtain a plasma-treated surface of the substrate, (ii) activation of the plasma-treated surface of the substrate with an activation composition, to obtain an activated surface of the substrate, (iii) optionally electroless deposition of a coating metal on the activated surface of the substrate, to obtain a plating surface of the substrate, and (iv) optionally electrolytic deposition of an additional coating metal on the plating surface of the substrate obtained after optional step (iii) or on the activated surface of the substrate obtained after step (ii).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the total amount of sulphur containing compounds in a metal or metal alloy plating bath, wherein the sulphur containing compounds contain at least one sulphur atom having an oxidation state below +6, the method comprising the steps (a), (b), optionally (c), and (d). Said method is a means of providing control over a metal plating process. Thus, the present invention relates furthermore to a controlled process for plating a metal on a substrate utilizing the method of the present invention for monitoring the total amount of said sulphur containing compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the total amount of sulphur containing compounds in a metal or metal alloy plating bath, wherein the sulphur containing compounds contain at least one sulphur atom having an oxidation state below +6, the method comprising the steps (a), (b), optionally (c), and (d). Said method is a means of providing control over a metal plating process. Thus, the present invention relates furthermore to a controlled process for plating a metal on a substrate utilizing the method of the present invention for monitoring the total amount of said sulphur containing compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for treatment of recessed structures in a dielectric material for smear removal during the manufacture of printed circuit boards, IC substrates and the like. The dielectric material is contacted with an aqueous solution comprising 60 to 80 wt.-% sulfuric acid and 0.04 to 0.66 mol/l peroxodisulfate ions peroxodisulfate ions and at least one stabilizing additive selected from alcohols, molecular ethers and polymeric ethers. Smear is removed from the recessed structures by the method according to the present invention without penetration of process chemicals into the dielectric material and a sufficiently low copper etching rate is achieved. Furthermore, the shelf life of said aqueous solution is improved even in the presence of copper ions.