Composite material, method for producing the same, and apparatus for producing the same

Abstract

Disclosed is a composite material wherein adhesion between a silicon surface and a plating material is enhanced. A method and an apparatus for producing the composite material are also disclosed. The method for producing a composite material comprises a dispersion/allocation step wherein the surface of a silicon substrate ( 102 ), which is a matrix provided with a silicon layer at least as the outermost layer, is immersed into a first solution containing gold (Au) ions, so that particulate or island-shaped gold (Au) serving as a first metal and substituted with a part of the silicon layer are dispersed/allocated on the matrix surface, and a plating step wherein the silicon substrate ( 102 ) is immersed into a second solution ( 24 ), which contains a reducing agent to which gold (Au) exhibits catalyst activity and metal ions which can be reduced by the reducing agent, so that the surface of the silicon substrate ( 102 ) is covered with the metal or an alloy of the metal ( 108 ) which is formed by autocatalytic electroless plating using gold (Au) as a starting point.

1 . A method for producing a composite material, the method comprising:
 a dispersion/allocation step comprising dispersing and allocating gold (Au) into shapes of particles or islands on a surface of a matrix comprising a silicon layer as an uppermost layer, wherein the gold (Au) is displaced by part of the silicon layer by immersing the surface of the matrix in a first solution comprising gold ions (Au); and   a plating step comprising covering the surface of the matrix with a metal, or an alloy thereof, by autocatalytic electroless plating with the gold (Au) serving as starting points and immersing the matrix in a second solution comprising a reducing agent, to which the gold (Au) is catalytically active, and ions of the metal to be reduced by the reducing agent.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the starting points are configured by the gold (Au) in the shapes of particles or islands dispersed on the surface of the matrix at a particle density ranging from 3 10 ×10 10  particles/cm 2  to 1×10 13  particles/cm 2 .   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silicon layer comprises single-crystalline silicon, and the surface of the matrix comprising the gold (Au) allocated thereon has a root-mean-square roughness (Rq) from 1.1 nm to 1.6 nm.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silicon layer comprises single-crystalline silicon, and the surface of the matrix comprising the gold (Au) allocated thereon is substantially flat.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silicon layer comprises at least one material selected from polycrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, and amorphous silicon.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the root-mean-square roughness (Rq) of the surface of the matrix comprising the gold (Au) dispersed and allocated thereon is increased by an amount ranging from 0.9 nm to 1.5 nm relative to a root-mean-square roughness (Rq) of the surface of the matrix prior to the dispersion/allocation of the gold (Au).   
     
     
         7 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for producing a composite material, the apparatus comprising:
 a dispersion/allocation device for dispersing and allocating gold (Au) into shapes of particles or islands on a surface of a matrix comprising a silicon layer as an uppermost layer, wherein the gold (Au) is displaced by part of the silicon layer by immersing the surface of the matrix in a first solution comprising ions of the gold (Au); and   a plating device for covering the surface of the matrix with a metal, or an alloy thereof, by autocatalytic electroless plating with the gold (Au) serving as starting points, and immersing the matrix in a second solution comprising a reducing agent to which the gold (Au) is catalytically active and ions of the metal to be reduced by the reducing agent.