# US 2014/0150689 A1 · Electroless nickel plating bath composition

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- Number: US 2014/0150689 A1
- Document ID: US20140150689A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/131,949
- Filed: 2012-07-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-26
- Assignees: Atotech Deutschland GmbH
- Inventors: Boris Alexander JANSSEN; Holger BERA; Sebastian WEISSBROD; Britta SCHAFSTELLER
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150689A1

## CPC

- C23C 18/36: using hypophosphites
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

The present invention relates to an aqueous plating bath composition for depositing a nickel phosphorous alloy having a phosphorous content in the range of 5 to 12 wt. %. The plating bath comprises a sulfur-containing organic stabilizing agent.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An aqueous plating bath composition for electroless plating of a nickel phosphorous alloy, the plating bath comprising
(i) a water soluble source of nickel ions
(ii) a hypophosphite compound
(iii) at least one complexing agent selected from the group comprising carboxylic acids, polyamines, sulfonic acids and mixtures thereof and
(iv) a stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of compounds according to formulae (1) and (2):
R1S—(CH2)n—SO3R2 (1)
R3SO3—(CH2)m—S—S—(CH2)m—SO3R3 (2)
wherein
R1, R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, lithium, sodium, potassium and ammonium,
n ranges from 1 to 6 and
m ranges from 1 to 6
and having a pH value in the range of 3.5 to 6.5.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of nickel ions ranges from 1 to 18 g/l.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 wherein the hypophosphite compound is selected from the group comprising phosphorous acid, sodium hypophosphite, potassium hypophosphite and ammonium hypophosphite.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of the hypophosphite compound ranges from 2 to 60 g/l.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of the at least one complexing agent ranges from 1 to 200 g/l.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 wherein the concentration of the stabilizing agent according to formulae (1) and (2) ranges from 1 to 100 ppm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 wherein the plating bath composition is essentially free of heavy metal ions selected from cadmium, thallium, lead and antimony.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The aqueous plating bath composition according to claim 1 having a pH value in the range of 4 to 6.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Method for depositing a nickel phosphorous alloy having a phosphorous concentration in the range of 5 to 12 wt. %, the method comprising the steps of
(i) providing a substrate
(ii) contacting said substrate with an aqueous plating bath according to claim 1.