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US5425873A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electroplating process

Assignee: Rohm and Haas Co
•
Filing: 1994-04-11
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Granted: 1995-06-20
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Expires: 2014-04-11
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Abstract

Abstract A process for electroplating a substrate having a surface comprising metallic and non-metallic regions. The process is characterized by selectively forming a protective film over the metallic regions of the substrate surface and forming a sulfide coating selectively over the remaining portions of said substrate. The protective film enables selective sulfide formation only on metallic sites without formation of a sulfide coating on metallic surface regions of the substrate which would otherwise interfere with metal-to-metal bond during electroplating. Following formation of the sulfide conversion coating, the protective film is removed and the surface of the substrate electroplated.

Inventors

  • 👤 John J. Bladon
  • 👤 Wade Sonnenberg
  • 👤 Inna Sinitskaya
  • 👤 Jeffrey P. Burress
  • 👤 Christopher P. Esposito

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 03:51
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/40; H05K3/42; H05K3/423; H05K3/424; C; C25; C25D; C25D5/00; C25D5/02; H05K3/425; H05K3/427; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/01; H05K2201/0137; H05K2201/0166; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/05; H05K2203/0562; H05K2203/0591; H05K2203/12; H05K2203/121

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 144 words
A process for electroplating a substrate having a surface with metallic and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing metallic sites over said metallic and non-metallic regions, said metallic sites being of a metal differing from the metal comprising the metallic regions of the substrate, selectively providing a protective coating over the entire surface of the metallic regions of the substrate by treatment with a treatment solution that reacts with the metallic regions to form a protective coating thereover but which is non-reactive with the metallic sites to reduce the chemical reactivity of said metallic regions without formation of a protective coating over said metallic sites, contacting the substrate with a solution that converts said metallic sites to metallic sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said metallic regions to a sulfide by said protective coating and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 144 words
A process for electroplating a substrate having a surface with metallic and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing metallic sites over said metallic and non-metallic regions, said metallic sites being of a metal differing from the metal comprising the metallic regions of the substrate, selectively providing a protective coating over the entire surface of the metallic regions of the substrate by treatment with a treatment solution that reacts with the metallic regions to form a protective coating thereover but which is non-reactive with the metallic sites to reduce the chemical reactivity of said metallic regions without formation of a protective coating over said metallic sites, contacting the substrate with a solution that converts said metallic sites to metallic sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said metallic regions to a sulfide by said protective coating and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
The process of claim 1 where said metallic sites are formed by contact of said substrate with an aqueous colloidal solution of a metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
The process of claim 2 where said colloidal solution is of a noble metal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
The process of claim 3 where said colloidal solution is a colloid of tin and palladium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
The process of claim 3 where said metallic sulfide sites are formed by contact of said substrate with an aqueous solution of an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfide or thiosulfate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 5 where the aqueous solution is an alkali metal thiosulfate solution.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process of claim 3 where the protective coating is formed by selectively coating the metallic regions with a hydrophobic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
The process of claim 7 where the hydrophobic material is selected from the group consisting of an organic polymer and an oil.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 14 words
The process of claim 8 where the hydrophobic material is applied by roller coating.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process of claim 1 where said metallic sites are formed by contact of said substrate with an aqueous colloidal solution of palladium and said metallic regions are copper.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
The process of claim 1 where the protective coating is removed prior to electroplating.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 143 words
A process for electroplating a substrate having a surface with metallic and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing metallic sites over said metallic and non-metallic regions, said metallic sites being of a metal differing from the metal comprising the metallic regions of the substrate, selectively providing a protective coating over the entire surface of the metallic regions of the substrate by treatment with a complexing agent that reacts with the metallic regions to form a complex thereof but which is non-reactive with the metallic sites to reduce the chemical reactivity of said metallic regions without formation of a protective coating over said metallic sites, contacting the substrate with a solution that converts said metallic sites to metallic sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said metallic regions to a sulfide by said protective coating and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 143 words
A process for electroplating a substrate having a surface with metallic and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing metallic sites over said metallic and non-metallic regions, said metallic sites being of a metal differing from the metal comprising the metallic regions of the substrate, selectively providing a protective coating over the entire surface of the metallic regions of the substrate by treatment with a complexing agent that reacts with the metallic regions to form a complex thereof but which is non-reactive with the metallic sites to reduce the chemical reactivity of said metallic regions without formation of a protective coating over said metallic sites, contacting the substrate with a solution that converts said metallic sites to metallic sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said metallic regions to a sulfide by said protective coating and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 43 words
The process of claim 12 where the metallic regions are copper, the metallic sites are of palladium and the protective coating is formed by contacting the substrate with a copper complexing agent that is non-reactive with palladium and forms a complex with copper.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 21 words
The process of claim 13 where the copper complexing agent is a cyclic compound containing at least one cyclic nitrogen atom.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 14 where the copper complexing agent is a copper I complexing agent that is an aromatic compound having a ring substituted nitrogen atom.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
The process of claim 15 where the copper complexing agent is selected from the group consisting of N,N'-dipyridyl, 2-aminomethyl pyridine, neocuproine and phenanthroline.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 12 words
The process of claim 16 where the copper complexing agent is neocuproine.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 138 words
A process for electroplating a copper clad circuit board substrate comprising copper clad regions and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing noble metal sites over said copper clad regions and said non-metallic regions by contact of said substrate with a solution of a colloidal noble metal, selectively providing a protective coating over said copper clad regions to reduce the chemical reactivity of said copper cladding without protecting said noble metal sites, said protective coating being formed by contacting said substrate with a solution containing a copper complexing agent, contacting said surface with a solution that converts said noble metal sites to metal sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said copper clad regions to a sulfide by said protective coating, removing said protective coating from said copper clad regions and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 138 words
A process for electroplating a copper clad circuit board substrate comprising copper clad regions and non-metallic regions, said process comprising the steps of providing noble metal sites over said copper clad regions and said non-metallic regions by contact of said substrate with a solution of a colloidal noble metal, selectively providing a protective coating over said copper clad regions to reduce the chemical reactivity of said copper cladding without protecting said noble metal sites, said protective coating being formed by contacting said substrate with a solution containing a copper complexing agent, contacting said surface with a solution that converts said noble metal sites to metal sulfide sites but is prevented from converting said copper clad regions to a sulfide by said protective coating, removing said protective coating from said copper clad regions and electroplating said substrate with metal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 24 words
The process of claim 18 where said noble metal sites are formed by contact of said substrate with an aqueous colloidal solution of palladium.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 44 words
The process of claim 18 where said protective film and said noble metal sulfide sites are formed essentially simultaneously by contact of said substrate with an aqueous solution of an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfide or thiosulfate containing a copper I complexing agent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 15 words
The process of claim 20 where the aqueous solution is an alkali metal thiosulfate solution.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 22 words
The process of claim 20 where the protective coating is removed prior to electroplating by etching the copper with a copper etchant.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 20 where the copper complexing agent is a copper complexing agent that is a cyclic compound containing at least one cyclic nitrogen atom.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 23 where the copper complexing agent which is a copper I complexing agent is an aromatic compound having a ring substituted nitrogen atom.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 24 words
The process of claim 24 where the copper I complexing agent is selected from the group consisting of N,N'-dipyridyl, 2-aminomethyl pyridine, neocuproine and phenanthroline.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 13 words
The process of claim 25 where the copper I complexing agent is neocuproine.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3011290A Cited
US4952286A Cited
US5007990A Cited
US4895739A Cited
US4919768A Cited
US5276290A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-06-19 1998-12-19 1999-06-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-06-19 2002-12-19 2003-06-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-06-19 2006-12-19 2007-06-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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