In situ Plating And Soldering Of Materials Covered With A Surface Film

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter provides systems and methods for etching and/or metal plating of substrate materials. An exemplary method in accordance with the disclosed subject matter for metal-plating or etching a substrate includes submerging portions of the substrate in a first bath of chemical solution, performing in-situ laser ablation of the substrate to achieve an immersion plated pattern with a first cation, plating-up the immersion plated pattern with the first cation in the first bath, and plating-up the immersion plated pattern with a second cation in a second bath. The same or another exemplary method can utilize a reel-to-reel system. The plating-up can begin after patterning by immersion plating is complete. Further, a single plating pattern can be used to define a pattern and the same bath can be used to plate the immersion pattern, thereby achieving a uniform thickness of the pattern.

1 . A system for metal-plating and/or etching on a curved surface of a substrate by action of a chemical solution in a tank containing the chemical solution, the substrate covered by an interfering surface coating, the system comprising:
 a substrate-holding fixture disposed relative to the tank so that at least a portion of the curved surface of the substrate is submerged in the contained chemical solution;   a light beam source adapted to emit a light beam, and   one or more optical elements that optically couple the light beam source to the substrate-holding fixture, the one or more optical elements configured to direct the light beam in situ on the submerged portion of the curved surface of the substrate from multiple directions to remove the interfering surface coating thereon and to expose the submerged portion of the curved surface to the action of the chemical solution, thereby permitting metal-plating and/or etching directly on the curved surface of the substrate without interference by the surface coating.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the light beam is a pulsed laser. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsed laser is selected from the group consisting of a UV laser and a femtosecond laser. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more optical elements comprises an oscillating optical element that reflects or refracts the light beam so that the light beam is incident upon the entire circumferential length of the curved surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical elements comprises an optical fiber carrying the light beam. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the curved surface is an interior surface of the substrate, and wherein the system further comprises a mechanism to rotate and translate the substrate relative to the light beam so that the light beam irradiation traverses the entire circumferential length of the curved surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the mechanism to rotate and translate the substrate relative to the light beam comprises a mechanism to rotate and translate the substrate relative to the tank containing the chemical solution. 
     
     
         8 . A system for metal-plating and etching a two-dimensional surface of a substrate by action of a chemical solution in a tank containing the chemical solution, the substrate covered by an interfering surface coating, the system comprising:
 a substrate-holding fixture disposed relative to the tank so that at least a portion of the two-dimensional surface of the substrate is submerged in the contained chemical solution;   a light beam source adapted to emit a light beam, and   one or more optical elements that optically couple the light beam source to the substrate-holding fixture, the one or more optical elements configured to direct the light beam in situ on the submerged portion of the two-dimensional surface of   the substrate to remove the interfering surface coating thereon and to expose the submerged portion of the two-dimensional surface to the action of the chemical solution, thereby permitting metal-plating and/or etching directly on the substrate without interference by the surface coating.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the a one or more optical elements is configured to direct the light beam along at least a length of the two-dimensional surface. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a substrate translation mechanism which moves the substrate along at least a length of its two-dimensional surface under light beam irradiation. 
     
     
         11 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A system for metal-plating or etching a substrate comprising:
 a laser;   a first bath including a first chemical solution and a first counter electrode, and coupled to a first power supply utilizing a switch for producing mechanical motion of said substrate; and   a second bath including a second chemical solution and said first counter electrode and coupled to a second power supply.   
     
     
         31 . A system for metal-plating or etching a substrate comprising:
 a bath; and   a scanning mirror coupled to a lens and a laser for ablating said substrate in said bath to achieve said plating or etching.   
     
     
         32 . A system of  claim 31 , further comprising a reel-to-reel system to control the movement of said substrate. 
     
     
         33 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A system for metal-plating or etching a substrate comprising:
 a first bath;   a supply tank for depositing a layer of chemical solution onto at least one surface of said substrate; and   at least one laser optically coupled to at least one lens for ablating said substrate in said first bath to achieve plating or etching.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising a reel-to-reel system to control the movement of said substrate. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein said at least one lens is at least one lens with a focal length greater than 30 cm. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising a second bath separated from said first bath by a first partition, said second bath containing an electrode for electroplating said substrate. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein said supply tank is said first bath. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising a second partition, positioned adjacent to a wall of said first bath such that a channel is formed in which said layer of chemical solution is deposited onto at least two surfaces of said substrate. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 39 , further comprising of a plurality of mirrors for directing at least one laser beam produced by said at least one laser to irradiate said substrate from more than one angle. 
     
     
         46 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A system for metal-plating or etching a substrate from more than one angle simultaneously comprising:
 a bath containing a chemical solution;   one or more lenses;   one or more lasers coupled to a plurality of mirrors for irradiating said substrate at least partially immersed in said chemical solution in said bath from more than one angle simultaneously with laser beams passed through said one or more lenses.   
     
     
         52 . A system for the in situ removal of an inhibiting film on a metal substrate comprising;
 a substrate with an inhibiting film at least partially submerged in an electrolyte;   a laser radiation source directed toward the substrate, the laser radiation selected from the group consisting of a UV laser and a femtosecond laser.   
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein said UV radiation is in the wavelength range 157-356 nm. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 52  where said femtosecond laser pulses are in the wavelength range of from about 700 nm to about 1000 nm. 
     
     
         55 . The system as in  claim 52  with a counter electrode submerged in said electrolyte; a power supply connected to said substrate and counter electrode to commence with one of a group consisting of electroplating and electroecthing after removal of said oxide film by said laser irradiation. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 52  wherein said substrate is removed from said electrolyte for one of plating and etching at a later time in any one of several suitable electrolytes. 
     
     
         57 - 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . A system for metal-plating and/or etching on a curved surface of a substrate by action of a chemical solution in a tank containing the chemical solution, the substrate covered by an interfering surface coating, the system comprising:
 a light beam source adapted to emit a light beam,   a substrate;   one or more optical elements that optically couple the light beam source to at least a portion of the substrate, the one or more optical elements configured to direct the light beam on the curved surface of the substrate from multiple directions to remove the interfering surface coating thereon; and   a substrate-holding fixture disposed relative to the tank so that at least a portion of the curved surface of the substrate is submerged in the contained chemical solution;   wherein the tank is located in proximity to the substrate coupled to the light beam source so as to permit metal-plating and/or etching directly on the curved surface of the substrate prior to reformation of the interfering surface coating.   
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the light beam is a pulsed laser. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the pulsed laser is selected from the group consisting of a UV laser and a femtosecond laser. 
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 59 , wherein the substrate-holding fixture comprises a reel to reel system. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 62 , wherein the reel to reel system comprises a steam source located so as to allow the steam to contact the substrate prior to being optically coupled to the light source.