Electroless Palladium Plating Solution for Stable Film Deposition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electroless palladium plating solutions face issues with storage stability, rapid degradation in industrial production, crack-prone films, and significant variations in film thickness over time, making them unsuitable for high-reliability electronic components.

Innovation Solution

An electroless pure palladium plating solution comprising a water-soluble palladium compound, aliphatic carboxylic acids, phosphoric acid/phosphate, and sulfuric acid/sulfate, with specific concentrations and pH control, to stabilize the solution and ensure consistent film deposition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If conventional electroless palladium plating solutions are used, then plating can be performed, but the solution degrades rapidly in industrial mass production with poor storage stability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesolution stabilityVSAvoidplating film quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the plating solution by replacing conventional reducing agents (hypophosphorous acid, boron compounds) with formic acid and formates, and adjusting the pH range to 3-10. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by providing both long-term storage stability and reliable plating film quality throughout the solution's service life

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses formic acid and formates as replaceable, easily replenished reducing agents that can be added to maintain solution activity without causing degradation. This allows the solution to maintain stable performance over extended periods in industrial production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Use of energy by moving object

If hypophosphorous acid or boron compounds are used as reducing agents, then reduction reaction occurs, but phosphorus and boron contaminate the plating film causing property changes after heat test

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereduction reaction efficiencyVSAvoidplating film contamination
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful elements (phosphorus and boron) from the plating system by replacing hypophosphorous acid and boron compounds with formic acid and formates as reducing agents. This extraction eliminates contamination while maintaining the necessary reduction reaction efficiency for palladium deposition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the previously harmful role of phosphorus and boron (as contaminants) into a beneficial approach by using formic acid and formates that decompose into harmless products (carbon dioxide, water, and formate ions), thus eliminating contamination while maintaining reducing capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Productivity

If conventional plating solutions are used, then plating process can be performed, but film thickness variations become considerable over time making control difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplating process continuityVSAvoidfilm thickness control
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a stable chemical system where formic acid and formates provide consistent reducing power throughout the solution's service life, with pH buffering capacity that maintains stable deposition rates. This inherent feedback stability ensures uniform film thickness control over extended production periods

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

By changing the reducing agent system to formic acid and formates with specific pH buffering characteristics, the patent achieves stable deposition kinetics that maintain consistent film thickness control throughout the solution's operational life, resolving the drift problem of conventional solutions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of manufacture

If conventional electroless palladium plating solutions are used, then plating can be performed, but the plating films are crack-prone with poor wire-bonding and soldering properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplating film formationVSAvoidwire-bonding and soldering properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes multiple parameters including the reducing agent system (formic acid/formates), pH range (3-10), and additive composition to produce plating films with improved mechanical properties. These parameter changes eliminate cracks and enhance wire-bonding and soldering properties while maintaining ease of manufacture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution provides stable, crack-free palladium films with excellent soldering and wire-bonding properties, maintaining high reliability and ease of thickness control, while avoiding contamination from phosphorous and boron, thus suitable for high-density electronic parts.

Implementation Method 1

an electroless pure palladium plating solution comprising: an aqueous solution containing (a) 0.001 to 0.5 mol/liter of a water-soluble palladium compound

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectroless plating: Deposition (physical)

Implementation Method 2

0.005 to 10 mol/liter of at least two members selected from the group consisting of aliphatic carboxylic acids and water-soluble salts thereof, (c) 0.005 to 10 mol/liter of phosphoric acid and/or a phosphate, and (d) 0.005 to 10 mol/liter of sulfuric acid and/or a sulfate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectpH buffering:

Data Source

PatentUS7981202B2Electroless pure palladium plating solution
Publication Date: 2011.07.19 KOJIMA CHEM CO LTD

AI summary

An electroless pure palladium plating solution capable of forming pure palladium plating films having less plating film variations is provided. The electroless pure palladium plating solution comprises an aqueous solution containing (a) 0.001 to 0.5 mol/liter of a water-soluble palladium compound, (b) 0.005 to 10 mol/liter of at least two members selected from the group consisting of aliphatic carboxylic acids and water-soluble salts thereof, (c) 0.005 to 10 mol/liter of phosphoric acid and/or a phosphate, and (d) 0.005 to 10 mol/liter of sulfuric acid and/or a sulfate.