Photoselective Deposition of Copper and Nickel on Non-Conducting Substrates by Alkaline Electroless Baths at Room Temperature

TLDR: An attempt has been made to deposit copper and nickle using room temperature electroless baths on pre-selected areas of alumina and FRP substrates using PdCl2 as activator, which yields a dense deposit of Cu and Ni having good adherence to the substrates.

Abstract: Interest in the metallization of dielectric substrates such as ceramics, plastics is growing because of their wider applications in electronic industries, namely in the fabrication of MIC's, HIC's etc. In this paper an attempt has been made to deposit copper and nickle using room temperature electroless baths on pre-selected areas of alumina and FRP substrates using PdCl2 as activator. The process offers a uniform dense deposit of Ni/Cu selectively on the substrates. For full coverage of the metal on the substrate it has been found that either AgNO3 or PdCl2 as activator has the same effect. The process yields a dense deposit of Cu and Ni having good adherence to the substrates.