Western Electric Company, Inc.

John Thomas Kenney

William J Baron

Wesley P Townsend

A method of removing contaminants from the surface is disclosed. The method comprises coating the surface with a surface active agent having a first surface energy and into which the contaminants are combined, applying thereover a higher surface energy colloidal sol and then allowing sufficient time for the first surface energy material with the contaminants combined therewith to migrate through the colloidal sol so as to remove the contaminants from the immediate vicinity of the substrate surface. The surface may then be treated by exposing it to an acid or base to remove the migrated surfactant layer thus removing the trace of contaminants.

Method of removing contaminants from a surface

A method of selectively depositing a metal on a surface is disclosed. The method comprises selectively coating a surface with a surface active agent, having a first surface energy, to form a coated surface having a coated portion capable of burying a higher surface energy material applied thereto and an uncoated surface pattern not so capable. The selectively coated surface is then treated with a solution, having a second surface energy higher than the first, comprising a species selected from the group comprising (1) a species capable of reducing an activating metal ion to an activating metal and (2) an activating metal species capable of participating in an electroless metal deposition, to form a surface having the species deposited atop the uncoated pattern.

Method of selectively depositing a metal on a surface

A method of depositing a metal on a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The method comprises selectively coating portions of the surface with a colloidophobic material to render the portions colloidophobic and to delineate an exposed surface pattern which is capable of retaining a colloidal species thereon. The selectively coated surface is treated with a sol comprising a colloidal species selected from the group comprising (1) a species capable of reducing an activating metal ion to an activating metal, and (2) a colloidal activating metal species capable of participating in an electroless metal deposition to deposit the colloidal species on the exposed surface pattern.

Method of depositing a metal on a surface

A method of forming a hydrophobic surface is disclosed. The method comprises coating a substrate surface with a stable aqueous colloidal solution, formed by a controlled hydrolysis and nucleation reaction, comprising insoluble hydrous oxide particles of an element selected from Be, In, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Tl, Cu, Zn, Sn and mixtures thereof. The coated surface is then exposed to a source of ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength ranging from 1800A to 3300A to render exposed surface regions hydrophobic.

Method of forming a hydrophobic surface by exposing a colloidal sol to

A method of depositing a metal on a surface of a substrate is disclosed. A surface of the substrate is sensitized with a photosensitive sensitizer comprising a photosensitive species of (1) an element selected from Ni, Mn, U, Mo and W, or (2) a combination of elements comprising Pd and an element selected from In and Ce. The sensitized surface is exposed to a suitable source of radiation, e.g., ultraviolet radiation, to delineate a surface pattern, corresponding to a desired metal pattern, containing a species of at least one selected element which is either (1) capable of reducing an activation metal ion to catalytic activating metal or (2) capable of being reduced to a catalytic activating metal such as catalytic palladium. The ultraviolet radiation-delineated surface pattern is then exposed or treated with a solution comprising an activating metal ion to reduce and deposit thereon an activating metal. The deposited activating metal pattern is then exposed, as by immersion, to a suitable electroless metal deposition solution wherein an electroless metal is catalytically reduced on the activating metal pattern. However, where Pd-In, Pd-Ce sensitizers are employed, exposure to an activating metal ion containing solution is unnecessary and the delineated surface pattern is directly exposed to the electroless metal deposition solution.

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Lawrence Township, NJ, United States of America

John Thomas Kenney