Electroless nickel plating solution and method
AssigneeMacDermid Acumen, Inc.
InventorsRobert Janik, Nicole J. Micyus
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electroless nickel plating solution and a method of using the same is described. The electroless nickel plating solution comprises (i) a source of nickel ions; (ii) a reducing agent; (iii) one or more complexing agents; (iv) one or more bath stabilizers; (v) a brightener, said brightener comprising a sulfonated compound having sulfonic acid or sulfonate groups; and (vi) optionally, one or more additional additives. The use of the sulfonated compound brightener results in a bright electroless nickel deposit on various substrates having a high gloss value.
Claims17
A process of plating a substrate to provide a bright electroless nickel deposit thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a substrate to accept electroless nickel plating thereon;
- and
- b) plating the substrate with an electroless nickel plating solution, the electroless nickel plating solution comprising;
- 1) a source of nickel ions;
- 2) a reducing agent;
- 3) one or more complexing agents;
- 4) one or more bath stabilizers, said one or more bath stabilizers comprising a source of bismuth ions;
- and
- 5) a brightener selected from the group consisting of alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonamides, alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonic acids, alkyl or aryl substituted sulfosuccinates, and alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonates;
- wherein the concentration of the brightener in the electroless nickel plating solution is in the range of about 0.1-3.0 mg/l;
- and
- wherein the deposited electroless nickel layer has a measured gloss unit value above about 120.
A process of plating a substrate to provide a bright electroless nickel deposit thereon, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) preparing a substrate to accept electroless nickel plating thereon;
- and
- b) plating the substrate with an electroless nickel plating solution, the electroless nickel plating solution comprising;
- 1) a source of nickel ions;
- 2) a reducing agent;
- 3) one or more complexing agents, the one or more complexing agents in a concentration of about 15 to about 75 g/L;
- 4) one or more bath stabilizers, the one or more bath stabilizers comprising a source of bismuth ions;
- 5) a brightener selected from the group consisting of alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonamides, alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonic acids, alkyl or aryl substituted sulfosuccinates, and alkyl or aryl substituted sulfonates, the sulfonated compound in a concentration of about 0.1-3.0 mg/L;
- and
- 6) 2-aminothiazole;
- wherein the deposited electroless nickel layer has a measured gloss unit value above about 170.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.