International Business Machines Corporation

Gary Paul Vlasak

Voya Rista Markovich

Richard Stuart Zarr

Douglas Oliver Powell

Kenneth Michael Fallon

Charles F Carey

Warren A Alpaugh

Eric P Dibble

Steven L Hanakovic

Richard C Senger

George J Macur

Daniel S Niedrich

Small, closely spaced deposits of solder materials may be formed with high volumetric accuracy and uniformity of shape by depositing a layer of conductive material over surfaces of a dielectric layer having apertures or recesses (e.g. blind apertures) and conductors and/or pads exposed by those apertures or recesses, masking regions of the conductive material with a further patterned dielectric layer, electroplating solder materials onto regions of the conductive material exposed by the mask, removing the mask and portions of the conductive material by selective etching and reflowing solder away from at least a portion of the surfaces of the apertured dielectric layer. Uniformity of electroplating within blind apertures is enhanced by a combination of fluid jet sparging and cathode agitation. Excess conductor material in the resulting solder deposit can be avoided by replacing conductor material with a constituent component of a solder material in an immersion bath prior to electroplating.

Process for selective application of solder to circuit packages

Electroplating apparatus

Process is described for applying large quantities of solder to small areas, such as the lands in a high density card, to which it is intended to surface mount electronic devices or directly attach circuitized chips. The land area is temporarily extended by depositing a relatively thin layer of metal beyond the perimeter of the land, wave soldering to deposit excess solder on the extended land region, and reflow, whereby the thin layer of metal dissolves into the solder, causing the solder to retract to the dimensions of the original land. Because the volume of solder is increased, the strength and reliability of the solder joint is greatly improved.

Applying solder to high density substrates

A three step seeding process with a hot water rinse and bake includes first contacting the surface of a substrate with a stannous chloride sensitizing solution, followed by a hot water rinse to remove any excess stannous chloride. Next, a palladium chloride activator is used to interact with the stannous compounds to form an adherent layer of metallic palladium particles. Thereafter, the surface is subjected to a palladium chloride/stannous chloride/HCL seeder bath which deposits a final catalytic layer on the surface and drilled through holes to facilitate the electroless plating of a metal of the substrate. A subsequent baking at a temperature between 105.degree. C and 120.degree. C sets the seeder on the substrate surface and in the through holes in the substrate.

Method for preparing substrate surfaces for electroless deposition

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Owego, NY, United States of America

Gary Paul Vlasak