Electroless silver plating intended to have a “neutral pH” and to be “cyanide free” was investigated using imidazole as the reducing agent and succinimide as the complexing agent. Complex baths exhibited good storage stability, and pure silver films were deposited. Deposition is achieved by plating in a composition that displys neither displacement for electroless-nickel-coated substrates nor autocatalysis. The displacement deposition of silver decreased with an increase in the phosphorus content of the electroless nickel substrate. Experiments in polarization characteristics confirmed the mixed potential theory including local potential-current relationships for silver deposition.
