Method of locally providing metal on a surface of a substrate

Abstract

A method of locally providing metal on a surface of a substrate, in which the substrate is provided at the surface with an electrocatalythic image. The surface is then brought into contact with an electroless metal-plating solution. The electrocatalythic image is capable of binding metal to it from the metal-plating solution. Due to the fact that the image is brought into contact with the metal-plating solutin, the image is gradually strengthened with metal from the solution. With images smaller than 10 .mu.m, this strengthening is prevented, however, due to the fact that oxygen is present in the solution. Because oxygen is reduced, a reduction of metal ions in the solution cannot occur, as a result of which no metal deposition takes place on the image. According to the invention, the reduction of oxygen in the solution is counteracted at least relatively so that also in the case of images smaller than 10 .mu.m metal ions are reduced without hindrance to the metal, which is then deposited on the image. This images smaller than 10 .mu.m can be strengthened too.