Plating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016258066-A1
Application number	US-201615051746-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plating method has an electroless plating step for forming a conductive coating on a non-conductive substrate and an electrolytic plating step for forming a metallic coating on the conductive coating by using an auxiliary electrode. In the electroless plating step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the non-conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in an electroless plating solution to form the conductive coating. In the electrolytic plating step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the non-conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in an electrolytic plating solution to form the metallic coating. In the electroless plating step, electric current is applied by using the auxiliary electrode as an anode and a conductive member immersed in the electroless plating solution as a cathode.

First claim

1 . A plating method comprising:
an electroless plating step for forming a conductive coating on a non-conductive substrate; and an electrolytic plating step for forming a metallic coating on the conductive coating by using an auxiliary electrode, which is arranged to conform to the shape of the non-conductive substrate, wherein in the electroless plating step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the non-conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in an electroless plating solution to form the conductive coating, in the electrolytic plating step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the non-conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in an electrolytic plating solution to form the metallic coating, and in the electroless plating step, electric current is applied while using the auxiliary electrode as an anode and a conductive member immersed in the electroless plating solution as a cathode.

2 . The plating method according to claim 1 , wherein, in the electroless plating step, the conductive member is surrounded by an ion-exchange membrane, and the inside of the ion-exchange membrane is filled with an electrolyte solution containing no metal ions.

3 . The plating method according to claim 1 , wherein
the non-conductive substrate and the auxiliary electrode are connected to a jig and integrated into an integrated object, and the integrated object is transferred between the electroless plating step and the electrolytic plating step.

4 . A plating method comprising:
a preprocessing step for forming a conductive coating on a substrate; an electrolytic plating step for forming a metallic coating on the conductive coating by using an auxiliary electrode, which is arranged to conform to the shape of the substrate; and a cleaning step performed between the preprocessing step and the electrolytic plating step, wherein in the preprocessing step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the substrate, the conductive coating is formed on the substrate, in the cleaning step, with the position of the auxiliary electrode adjusted in relation to the substrate, the substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in a cleaning liquid, in the electrolytic plating step, while the auxiliary electrode is positioned on the substrate, the substrate and the auxiliary electrode are both immersed in an electrolytic plating solution, and the metallic coating is formed on the conductive coating with the auxiliary electrode used as an anode, and in the cleaning step, electric current is applied while using the auxiliary electrode as an anode and a conductive member immersed in the cleaning liquid as a cathode.

5 . The plating method according to claim 4 , wherein, in the cleaning step, the cleaning liquid includes an acidic electrolyte.

6 . The plating method according to claim 4 , wherein
the substrate is a non-conductive substrate made of a plastic material, and the preprocessing step has an electroless plating step.

7 . The plating method according to claim 4 , wherein
the substrate and the auxiliary electrode are connected to a jig and integrated into an integrated object, and the integrated object is transferred between the preprocessing step, the cleaning step, and the electrolytic plating step.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Hiei Takao
• Kawahara Atsushi

Classifications

• C23C28/023

  only coatings of metal elements only · CPC title

• C23C18/1671 Primary

  Electric field · CPC title

• C25D5/34

  Pretreatment of metallic surfaces to be electroplated · CPC title

• C25D5/54

  Electroplating of non-metallic surfaces (C25D7/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C23C18/32

  Coating with nickel, cobalt or mixtures thereof with phosphorus or boron (C23C18/50 takes precedence) · CPC title