Abstract
Electroless plating (ELP) process using Pt and Pd colloid catalyst has been developed. Au, Pt and Cu metal films with sufficient adhesion were successfully obtained without special treatment of substrate surfaces. Owing to the excellent catalytic property of the Pt nanoparticles, continuous gold thin films can be produced at room temperature using a simple cyanide-free gold electroless plating solution composed of chloroauric acid and hydrogen peroxide. Pd colloidal catalyst has been also developed for a novel Pt ELP process and for commercial Cu ELP process. The process requires no surface modifications for the immobilization of the catalyst, and by simple post-annealing the adhesion of the plated films to various polymer films can be improved dramatically. We have thus developed an environment-friendly etchingless ELP process without the use of toxic and hazardous substances.
