Process for metallizing a solid body

Details Process for metallizing a solid body Process for metallizing a solid body

1985-02-11

1987-09-08

Morgenstern, Norman

Coating processes

With pretreatment of the base

Preapplied reactant or reaction promoter or hardener

427305, 427306, 427404, 4274301, 204 30, B05D 310

Patent

active

046923560

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a process for metallizing a solid body, in particular, a vitreous, glass-like surface containing a silicate material.
Solid bodies are metallized to change, improve and/or broaden their functional characteristics, e.g. their electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, wear resistance and/or also their decorative characteristics. Generally, the adhesive strength of such metallizations is of great significance. The adhesion of a layer may be effected, for example, by relatively weak interaction between the materials of the layer and of the substrate (so-called Van der Waals forces), by chemical bonds or by mechanical anchoring and/or a combination of such contributions.
Processes are known with which layer adhesion can be improved. For example, adhesion promoting intermediate layers may be precipitated in the form of adhesives or as vapor-deposited and/or sputtered layers. Better layer adhesion is realized by roughening the substrate, e.g. in a grinding process, and/or by swelling and roughening the surface by way of chemical etching and/or by embedding dissolvable impurities in the adhesion promoter.
These known processes are limited to certain applications and special combinations of materials. Adhesion promoters are composed of a material which is different from the substrate and from the desired coating, so that incompatible characteristics occur or the desired layer characteristics must be restricted. For example, adhesion promoters in adhesive layers reduce the thermal stressability of the coated bodies. Inorganic adhesion promoters require uneconomical coating processes. Roughened substrate surfaces are annoying wherever very fine metallization structures are required or where there is a demand for special optical characteristics, such as reflection.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a process of this type which permits, in particular, a very finely structured and well adhering metallization to be produced in an economical manner on a vitreous and/or glass-like body and wherein roughening of the surface of the body and the precipitation of a special adhesion promoter are avoided.
To metallize a preferably glass-like body with good adhesion of the metal, the glass-like body is coated with a thin layer of an alloy, such as indium-tin, whereupon a catalytic germination layer is produced for currentless chemical metal precipitation by reducing a catalyst metal compound to the catalyst metal directly by the, for example, indium-tin layer or after the indiumtin layer has been reacted by salt formation or hydrolysis. After currentless chemical metallization, metal deposition may be continued by electroplating with conventional metals.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

This is accomplished, according to the invention, by applying a first layer containing at least one metal and/or metal oxide to the cleaned surface of the solid body in such a manner that a subsequently applied catalytic metal compound is reduced to form a metal catalytic germination layer by the metal contained in the first layer, and/or by a metal salt layer, hydrolized metal salt layer, or oxide layer formed by reacting the first layer. Thereafter, a metal is deposited on the germination layer by either a currentless chemical process, electroplating or both. Suitable embodiments and other features include: selecting the metal in the first layer from groups IIb through Vb of the periodic table; converting the first layer to a light permeable layer by chemical reaction and applying the first layer to a thickness of from 10 nm to 1000 nm. In a preferred embodiment the silicate material comprises soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, or both; and the first layer comprises an indium-tin alloy, its oxide, or both. Preferably, the ratio of indium to tin is from 100 to 0.01.
Moreover, at least part of the metal layer forming the first layer may be converted to a metal salt layer by chemical reaction with an acid. Additionally, the metal salt layer

REFERENCES:
patent: 3889017 (1975-06-01), Franz
patent: 4307168 (1981-12-01), Lelental et al.
patent: 4322457 (1982-03-01), Baron et al.
patent: 4354911 (1982-10-01), Dodd et al.
patent: 4444848 (1984-04-01), Shanefield et al.

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