Abstract: An aqueous bath for filling a vertical interconnect access or trench of a work piece with nickel or a nickel alloy, the bath comprising a source of nickel ions, and optionally a source of ions of at least one alloying metal, at least one buffering agent, at least one of a dimer of a compound of formula (I) or mixtures thereof wherein R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, R2 may be present or not, and if present R2 is a —(CH2)n—SO3? group, wherein n is an integer in the range of 1-6, and wherein one or more of the hydrogens in the group may be replaced by a substituent, preferably hydroxide; and a method for filling a vertical interconnect access or trench of a work piece with nickel or a nickel alloy with said aqueous bath.

Abstract: A method of forming a solderable solder deposit on a contact pad, comprising the steps of providing an organic, non-conductive substrate which exposes said contact pad under an opening of a first non-conductive resist layer, depositing a conductive layer inside and outside the opening such that an activated surface results, thereby forming an activated opening, electrolytically depositing nickel or nickel alloy into the activated opening such that nickel/nickel alloy is deposited onto the activated surface, electrolytically depositing tin or tin alloy onto the nickel/nickel alloy, with the proviso that the electrolytic deposition of later steps results in an entirely filled activated opening, wherein the entirely filled activated opening is completely filled with said nickel/nickel alloy, or in the entirely filled activated opening the total volume of nickel/nickel alloy is higher than the total volume of tin and tin alloy, based on the total volume of the entirely filled activated opening.

Abstract: An aqueous indium or indium alloy plating bath comprising a source of indium ions, an acid, a source of halide ions, a surfactant according to formula (I) wherein A is selected from branched or unbranched C10-C15-alkyl; B is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; m is an integer ranging from 5 to 25; each R is independently from each other selected from hydrogen and methyl; and a dihydroxybenzene derivative according to formula (II) wherein each X is independently selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, alkoxy, and nitro; n is an integer ranging from 1 to 4, wherein, when the aqueous indium or indium alloy plating bath is an indium alloy plating bath, an alloying reducible metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, bismuth, copper, gold, lead, nickel, silver, tin, tungsten and zinc.

Abstract: An aqueous indium or indium alloy plating bath comprising a source of indium ions, an acid, a source of halide ions, a surfactant according to formula (I) wherein A is selected from branched or unbranched C10-C15-alkyl; B is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; m is an integer ranging from 5 to 25; each R is independently from each other selected from hydrogen and methyl; and a dihydroxybenzene derivative according to formula (II) wherein each X is independently selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, alkoxy, and nitro; n is an integer ranging from 1 to 4, and a process for deposition of indium or an indium alloy wherein the disclosed bath is used.

Abstract: The present invention deals with a process for deposition of indium or indium alloys and an article obtained by the process, wherein the process includes the steps i. providing a substrate having at least one metal or metal alloy surface; ii. depositing a first indium or indium alloy layer on at least one portion of said surface whereby a composed phase layer is formed of a part of the metal or metal alloy surface and a part of the first indium or indium alloy layer; iii. removing partially or wholly the part of the first indium or indium alloy layer which has not been formed into the composed phase layer; iv. depositing a second indium or indium alloy layer on the at least one portion of the surface obtained in step iii.

Abstract: An aqueous bath for filling a vertical interconnect access or trench of a work piece with nickel or a nickel alloy, the bath comprising a source of nickel ions, and optionally a source of ions of at least one alloying metal, at least one buffering agent, at least one of a dimer of a compound of formula (I) or mixtures thereof wherein R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, R2 may be present or not, and if present R2 is a —(CH2)n-SO3? group, wherein n is an integer in the range of 1-6, and wherein one or more of the hydrogens in the group may be replaced by a substituent, preferably hydroxide; and a method for filling a vertical interconnect access or trench of a work piece with nickel or a nickel alloy with said aqueous bath.

Abstract: A method of forming a solderable solder deposit on a contact pad, comprising the steps of providing an organic, non-conductive substrate which exposes said contact pad under an opening of a first non-conductive resist layer, depositing a conductive layer inside and outside the opening such that an activated surface results, thereby forming an activated opening, electrolytically depositing nickel or nickel alloy into the activated opening such that nickel/nickel alloy is deposited onto the activated surface, electrolytically depositing tin or tin alloy onto the nickel/nickel alloy, with the proviso that the electrolytic deposition of later steps results in an entirely filled activated opening, wherein the entirely filled activated opening is completely filled with said nickel/nickel alloy, or in the entirely filled activated opening the total volume of nickel/nickel alloy is higher than the total volume of tin and tin alloy, based on the total volume of the entirely filled activated opening.

Abstract: An aqueous indium or indium alloy plating bath comprising a source of indium ions, an acid, a source of halide ions, a surfactant according to formula (I) wherein A is selected from branched or unbranched C10-C15-alkyl; B is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; m is an integer ranging from 5 to 25; each R is independently from each other selected from hydrogen and methyl; and a dihydroxybenzene derivative according to formula (II) wherein each X is independently selected from fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, alkoxy, and nitro; n is an integer ranging from 1 to 4, and a process for deposition of indium or an indium alloy wherein said bath is used.

Abstract: The present invention deals with a process for deposition of indium or indium alloys and an article obtained by the process, wherein the process includes the steps i. providing a substrate having at least one metal or metal alloy surface; ii. depositing a first indium or indium alloy layer on at least one portion of said surface whereby a composed phase layer is formed of a part of the metal or metal alloy surface and a part of the first indium or indium alloy layer; iii. removing partially or wholly the part of the first indium or indium alloy layer which has not been formed into the composed phase layer; iv. depositing a second indium or indium alloy layer on the at least one portion of the surface obtained in step iii. v.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a metallization method for solar cell substrates by electroplating wherein i) a resist is deposited onto at least one surface of a solar cell substrate and patterned, ii) a conductive seed layer is deposited onto the patterned resist and into the openings formed by the resist pattern, iii) a first metal or metal alloy is electroplated onto the conductive seed layer, and iv) those portions of the first metal or metal alloy layer deposited onto the patterned resist are removed.