Producing metal patterns on a plastic surface
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorsTimothy W. Johnson, Mark L. Stone
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Poly(arylene sulfide) articles having plated metal paths thereon are disclosed. A pattern of areas of lesser crystallinity and areas of higher crystallinity is created in the polymer morphology of a surface of the article. The surface is then exposed to a chemical etchant selectively active upon the areas of lesser crystallinity thereby etching those areas of lesser crystallinity while leaving areas of higher crystallinity substantially unaffected. Then a conductive metal is deposited on the etched areas of lesser crystallinity by an electroless plating process. Subsequent electroplating can also be used.
Claims25
A method for producing recessed plates paths on an article, comprising:
- (a) creating a pattern of areas of lesser crystallinity and areas of higher crystallinity in the polymer morphology of a surface of a poly(arylene sulfide) article;
- (b) exposing said surface to a chemical etchant selectively active upon said areas of lesser crystallinity and thereby etching said areas of lesser crystallinity while leaving said areas of higher crystallinity substantially unaffected so that said areas of lesser crystallinity become recessed with respect to said areas of higher crystallinity;
- and
- (c) after step (b), depositing a conductive metal on said recessed, etched areas of lesser crystallinity by electroless plating.
A method of forming recessed material patterns on a surface of a poly(phenylene sulfide) article, comprising:
- (a) tracing a pattern on the surface of said article with an electron beam, said pattern being of lesser crystallinity than a remainder of said surface;
- (b) exposing said surface to a chemical etchant selectively active on said pattern of lesser crystallinity so that said pattern of lesser crystallinity is recessed with respect to said remainder of said surface and thereby etching said pattern of lesser crystallinity;
- and
- (c) depositing a conductive metal on said etched pattern of lesser crystallinity by electroless plating to produce a recessed metal pattern on said surface.
A method for producing recessed plates paths on an article, comprising:
- (a) creating a pattern of areas of lesser crystallinity and areas of higher crystallinity in the polymer morphology of a surface of a poly(arylene sulfide) article;
- (b) exposing said surface to a chemical etchant selectively active upon said areas of lesser crystallinity and thereby etching said areas of lesser crystallinity while leaving said areas of higher crystallinity substantially unaffected so that said areas of lesser crystallinity become recessed with respect to said areas of higher crystallinity;
- and
- (c) after step (b), depositing a conductive metal on said recessed, etched areas of lesser crystallinity by electroless plating by:
- (c) (1) exposing said surface to a catalyst bath;
- (c) (2) wiping said surface to remove catalyst from said areas of higher crystallinity while leaving catalyst in said etched areas of lesser crystallinity;
- (c) (3) depositing said conductive metal from a plating solution on said etched areas of lesser crystallinity containing said catalyst.
A method for forming recessed metal patterns on a surface of a poly(phenylene sulfide) article, comprising:
- (a) tracing a pattern on the surface of said article with an electron beam, said pattern being of lesser crystallinity than a remainder of said surface;
- (b) exposing said surface to a chemical etchant selectively active on said pattern of lesser crystallinity so that said pattern of lesser crystallinity is recessed with respect to said remainder of said surface and thereby etching said pattern of lesser crystallinity;
- and
- (c) depositing a conductive metal on said etched pattern of lesser crystallinity by electroless plating to produce a recessed metal pattern on said surface by:
- (c) (1) exposing said surface to a catalyst bath;
- (c) (2) wiping said surface to remove catalyst from said remainder of said surface while leaving catalyst in said etched pattern of lesser crystallinity;
- and
- (c) (3) depositing said conductive metal from a plating solution on said etched pattern of lesser crystallinity containing said catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.