Abstract: A non-conductive substrate is conditioned for subsequent selective deposition of a metal thereon by providing at least one of the major surfaces of the substrate in roughened form, contacting that surface(s) with a palladium/tin catalyst, activating the catalyst by employing an alkali hydroxide solution, laminating a photosensitive composition to the major surface(s), and exposing the photosensitive composition to actinic light in a predetermined pattern and then developing to provide the predetermined pattern.

Abstract: Copper is deposited onto a substrate by plating a first layer of copper onto the substrate from an electroless plating bath and plating a second layer of copper onto the first layer of copper from a second and different electroless plating bath. The first and second plating baths differ from each other in at least the cyanide content. The process reduces plating void defects and reduces nodule formation.

Abstract: Nodule formation in a continuous electroless copper plating system is minimized by independently controlling the dissolved oxygen contents on the plating solution in the bath and in the associated external piping. The level of dissolved oxygen in the plating tank is maintained at a value such that satisfactory plating takes place. At the point where the plating solution leaves the tank, additional oxygen gas is introduced into the solution so that the level of dissolved oxygen in the plating solution in the external piping is high enough to prevent any plating from taking place in the external piping and so that in the external piping the copper is etched or dissolved back into solution. At the end of the external piping, the dissolved oxygen level is reduced so that the dissolved oxygen level of the plating solution in the tank is maintained at the level where plating will take place.

Abstract: The quantity of an anionic material in a sample is determined by adjusting the pH of the sample to place the material in nonionic extractable form, extracting out the material, spectrophotometrically measuring the extracted material, and comparing the measured value to a standard in order to determine the quantity of the anionic material.

Abstract: Method for controlling plating in an electroless plating process. The plating rate is continuously monitored. The plating rate is compared with a set point plating rate. A control voltage is derived proportional to the difference in plating rate and the desired plating rate, the integral of the difference, and the derivative of the difference. The control voltage is applied to a replenishment control for controlling the replenishment rate of a constituent chemical of the plating process.