Patent · US Expired

Electroless copper deposition solution using a hypophosphite reducing agent

US4279948A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
3References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 27, 1979
Grant dateJul 21, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 27, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC23C18/40
  • WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Electroless copper deposition solutions, and method of electrolessly depositing copper onto a workpiece using these solutions, are disclosed. The solutions contain, in addition to water as the usual solvent, a soluble source of copper ions, a complexing agent or mixture of agents to maintain the copper in solution, and a copper reducing agent effective to reduce the copper ions to metallic copper as a deposit or plating on a prepared surface of a workpiece brought into contact with the solution. The invention comprehends replacing the usual formaldehyde-type reducing agents of commercial electroless copper baths with inorganic non-formaldehyde-type agents, for example hypophosphites, by coordinating the particular complexing agents employed and the bath pH, to effect reduction of cupric ions to a metallic copper plating on a prepared surface of a substrate, wherein the resulting electroless metal deposit has conductive properties at least satisfactory for build-up of additional thickness of metal by standard electroplating techniques. Improvement over the prior formaldehyde-reduced electroless copper solutions is obtained in that the invention teaches those skilled in the art how t…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.