Carbon-based direct plating process
OwnerRoger Bernards, Nicholas Bryant +1inventors
InventorsRoger Bernards, Nicholas Bryant, Lindsey Mercurio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of preparing a non-conductive substrate to allow metal plating thereon and a two-part gel coating composition using an improved process sequence. The method includes the steps of a) contacting the non-conductive substrate with a conditioner comprising a high molecular weight conditioning agent; b) applying a carbon-based dispersion to the conditioned substrate, wherein the carbon-based dispersion comprises adhesive carbon or graphite particles dispersed in a liquid solution; and c) etching the non-conductive substrate. The adhesive carbon black or graphite particles in the liquid-carbon based dispersion have a small particle size and a tight particle size distribution.
Claims23
A method of preparing a non-conductive substrate to allow metal plating thereon, the method comprising the steps of, in order:
- a) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a conditioner, wherein the conditioner comprises a high molecular weight conditioning agent;
- b) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a first rinsing bath;
- c) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a first liquid carbon-based dispersion;
- d) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with first micro-etching bath;
- e) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a second rinsing bath;
- f) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a second liquid carbon-based dispersion;
- g) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a second micro-etching bath;
- and
- h) immersing or otherwise bringing the non-conductive substrate into contact with a third rinsing bath.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.