Abstract: A catalyst for a catalytic ink includes a support particle and a metallic material supported on the support particle. The metallic material is diamminesilver hydroxide, a silver salt, a palladium salt, a gold salt, chloroauric acid, or combinations thereof. A catalytic ink obtained from the catalyst and use of the same to fabricate a conductive circuit are also disclosed.

Abstract: A non-deleterious method for producing a continuous conductive circuit upon a non-conductive substrate can begin with the application of a metallic base layer upon a surface of a non-conductive substrate. A circuit pattern can be created within the metallic base layer based upon a circuit design. The metallic base layer comprising the circuit pattern can be physically separated from the remainder of the metallic base layer on the non-conductive substrate. The region of the non-conductive substrate surface that encloses the circuit pattern can be called the plating region. The remainder of the non-conductive substrate surface can be called the non-plating region. A first metal layer can be added upon the metallic base layer. A second metal layer can be added upon the first metal layer of the plating region. The second metal layer can be electrically conductive and restricted from forming on the first metal layer of the non-plating region.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern on a substrate may include the steps of: providing a substrate having an insulating surface including a pattern-forming region; printing only on a portion of the insulating surface, including the pattern-forming region, with an activation ink so as to form an activation layer on the portion of the insulating surface; forming a first metal layer on the activation layer by electroless plating; and isolating a patterned portion of the first metal layer, which is formed on the pattern-forming region, from a remaining portion of the first metal layer.

Abstract: A method of forming a patterned metal unit on an article. The method includes the steps of: providing an article that has an insulating surface; transferring a catalyst layer onto the insulating surface of the article, the catalyst layer including a catalytic material; removing a part of the catalyst layer to form a patterned catalyst layer; and forming a patterned metal layer on the patterned catalyst layer by an electroless plating technique to obtain a patterned metal unit that is constituted by the patterned catalyst layer and the patterned metal layer.

Abstract: An illumination assembly includes a substrate, a wiring structure, a reflecting layer and a plurality of light-emitting diodes. The wiring structure is formed on a part of the substrate, and includes a catalyst layer covering the part of the substrate, and a conducting layer formed on the catalyst layer. The reflecting layer is formed on another part of the substrate that is exposed from the wiring structure. The light-emitting diodes are disposed on the wiring structure and are electrically connected to the wiring structure.

Abstract: A non-deleterious method for producing a continuous conductive circuit upon a non-conductive substrate can begin with the application of a metallic base layer upon a surface of a non-conductive substrate. A circuit pattern can be created within the metallic base layer based upon a circuit design. The metallic base layer comprising the circuit pattern can be physically separated from the remainder of the metallic base layer on the non-conductive substrate. The region of the non-conductive substrate surface that encloses the circuit pattern can be called the plating region. The remainder of the non-conductive substrate surface can be called the non-plating region. A first metal layer can be added upon the metallic base layer. A second metal layer can be added upon the first metal layer of the plating region. The second metal layer can be electrically conductive and restricted from forming on the first metal layer of the non-plating region.

Abstract: A circuit substrate includes: an insulative substrate formed with a pattern of a recess, the recess being defined by a recess-defining wall that has a bottom wall surface and a surrounding wall surface extending upwardly from the bottom wall surface; a patterned metallic layer structure including at least a patterned active metal layer disposed within the recess, formed on the bottom wall surface of the recess-defining wall, and spaced apart from the surrounding wall surface of the recess-defining wall, the patterned active metal layer containing an active metal capable of initiating electroless plating; and a primary metal layer plated on the patterned metallic layer structure.

Abstract: A circuit-and-heat-dissipation assembly includes: a heat sink including a heat absorbing base and a heat dissipating element, the heat absorbing base having a circuit-forming surface and an element-forming surface, the heat dissipating element protruding from the element-forming surface for dissipating heat conducted from the heat absorbing base into an ambient environment; an insulator layer formed on the circuit-forming surface; and a patterned circuit formed on the insulator layer.

Abstract: A touch sensitive housing includes an insulator housing and conductive first and second touch sensor layers formed on the insulator housing, stacked one over the other and insulated from each other. At least one of the first and second touch sensor layers includes a patterned seed sub-layer including a catalytically active metal useful for activating electroless plating and a base sub-layer of a base metal formed on the seed sub-layer and having structural characteristics indicative of the base sub-layer being formed by electroless plating techniques.

Abstract: An illuminating device includes an insulative housing, at least two electrodes and a light source. The insulative housing has opposite front and rear surfaces and is formed with at least two through holes. Each of the through holes is defined by a hole wall and penetrates the front and rear surfaces. Each of the electrodes includes a first conductive segment formed proximate the front surface, a second conductive segment formed proximate the rear surface, and a connecting segment formed inside a respective one of the through holes and interconnecting electrically the first and second conductive segments. The light source is disposed on the front surface and includes first and second connecting terminals each being electrically coupled to the first conductive segment of a corresponding one of the electrodes.

Abstract: A method for making a capacitive touch sensitive housing, comprises: forming a non-patterned active metal layer on a housing wall; patterning the non-patterned active metal layer on the housing wall by laser ablation such that the non-patterned active metal layer is formed into a patterned active metal layer including a plurality of plating portions separated from each other, and a plurality of non-plating portions separated from the plating portions; and forming a metal layer on the patterned active metal layer such that the metal layer has first portions formed on the plating portions of the patterned active metal layer, and second portions formed on the non-plating portions of the patterned active metal layer.

Abstract: A circuit substrate includes: a substrate; an insulating coating layered structure formed on the substrate, having top and bottom surfaces, and formed with a patterned recess that is indented inwardly from the top surface, that is disposed above the bottom surface, and that is defined by a recess-defining wall, the recess-defining wall having a bottom wall portion and a surrounding wall portion that extends upwardly from a periphery of the bottom wall portion; and a patterned metallic layered structure including an electroless plating metal layer formed on the bottom wall portion of the recess-defining wall.

Abstract: A method for forming a graphene circuit pattern on an object includes the following steps of: forming a patterned graphene layer on a surface of a film so as to form a laminate; and covering an object with the laminate so as to attach the patterned graphene layer to the object.

Abstract: A method of making a metal-electrodeposited insulator substrate includes: forming first and second continuous conductor parts of a patterned conductive base layer on a pattern-forming surface of an insulator substrate; subjecting an assembly of the patterned conductive base layer and the insulator substrate to electroplating so as to simultaneously form first and second electroplating parts of a patterned electroplating layer on the patterned conductive base layer; and removing a sacrificial portion of the first continuous conductor part and a sacrificial portion of the first electroplating part from the insulator substrate.

Abstract: A method for making a capacitive touch sensitive housing, comprises: forming a non-patterned active metal layer on a housing wall; patterning the non-patterned active metal layer on the housing wall by laser ablation such that the non-patterned active metal layer is formed into a patterned active metal layer including a plurality of plating portions separated from each other, and a plurality of non-plating portions separated from the plating portions; and forming a metal layer on the patterned active metal layer such that the metal layer has first portions formed on the plating portions of the patterned active metal layer, and second portions formed on the non-plating portions of the patterned active metal layer.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a conductive trace structure includes the steps: forming a first metal layer on a non-conductive substrate; removing a part of the first metal layer to expose the non-conductive substrate so as to form the first metal layer into a plating region and a non-plating region, the plating region being divided into at least two trace-forming portions and at least one bridge portion; forming a second metal layer on the plating region by electroplating the plating region using one of the trace-forming portions and the bridge portion as an electrode; and removing the bridge portion and the second metal layer formed on the bridge portion.

Abstract: A method for making a capacitive touch sensitive housing, comprises: forming a non-patterned active metal layer on a housing wall; patterning the non-patterned active metal layer on the housing wall by laser ablation such that the non-patterned active metal layer is formed into a patterned active metal layer including a plurality of plating portions separated from each other, and a plurality of non-plating portions separated from the plating portions; and forming a metal layer on the patterned active metal layer such that the metal layer has first portions formed on the plating portions of the patterned active metal layer, and second portions formed on the non-plating portions of the patterned active metal layer.

Abstract: A non-deleterious method for producing a continuous conductive circuit upon a non-conductive substrate can begin with the application of a metallic base layer upon a surface of a non-conductive substrate. A circuit pattern can be created within the metallic base layer based upon a circuit design. The metallic base layer comprising the circuit pattern can be physically separated from the remainder of the metallic base layer on the non-conductive substrate. The region of the non-conductive substrate surface that encloses the circuit pattern can be called the plating region. The remainder of the non-conductive substrate surface can be called the non-plating region. A first metal layer can be added upon the metallic base layer. A second metal layer can be added upon the first metal layer of the plating region. The second metal layer can be electrically conductive and restricted from forming on the first metal layer of the non-plating region.

Abstract: A non-deleterious method for producing a continuous conductive circuit upon a non-conductive substrate can begin with the application of a metallic base layer upon a surface of a non-conductive substrate. A circuit pattern can be created within the metallic base layer based upon a circuit design. The metallic base layer comprising the circuit pattern can be physically separated from the remainder of the metallic base layer on the non-conductive substrate. The region of the non-conductive substrate surface that encloses the circuit pattern can be called the plating region. The remainder of the non-conductive substrate surface can be called the non-plating region. A first metal layer can be added upon the metallic base layer. A second metal layer can be added upon the first metal layer of the plating region. The second metal layer can be electrically conductive and restricted from forming on the first metal layer of the non-plating region.