Depositing a conductive metal onto a substrate

Abstract

A method for depositing a conductive metal onto a dielectric substrate is provided. The method includes obtaining a metal sheet having a roughened surface that has the following parameters: R.sub.a =0.05-0.08 mil, R.sub.max =0.20-0.55 mil, S.sub.m =1.00-3.00 mil, R.sub.p =0.20-0.35 mil, and surface area=0.90-1.20 square mils wherein R.sub.a is the average roughness and the arithmetic mean of the departures from horizontal mean line profile; R.sub.max is the maximum peak-to-valley height; S.sub.m is the mean spacing between high spots at the mean line; R.sub.p is the maximum profile height from the mean line; and surface area is the area under the surface profile from each measurement using a Talysurf S-120 profilometer; The sheet is laminated to the dielectric substrate surface by pressing the roughened surface of the metal sheet against the surface of the substrate and then removed from the substrate. The substrate surface is seeded to render it active for electroless plating thereon; and then a metal from an electroless plating bath is plated thereon. In another method, the dielectric substrate is seeded to render it active for electroless plating thereon. A metal is then plated thereon from an electroless plating bath. The plated metal is subjected to temperature of at least about 100 .degree. C. for a time sufficient to increase the adhesion of the metal to the substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.