Treatment methods and solutions for improving adhesion of gold electroplating on metal surfaces

• Main Authors: Pesavento, Paul V, Grove, Collin M, Riemer, Douglas P
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.02.2024
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; CHEMISTRY; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATIONOR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; ELECTROFORMING; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION INGENERAL; METALLURGY; MULTI-STEP PROCESSES FOR SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLICMATERIAL INVOLVING AT LEAST ONE PROCESS PROVIDED FOR IN CLASSC23 AND AT LEAST ONEPROCESS COVERED BY SUBCLASS C21D OR C22F OR CLASS C25; NON-MECHANICAL REMOVAL OF METALLIC MATERIAL FROM SURFACE; PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTIONOF COATINGS

Treatment solutions and methods for improving adhesion of gold electroplating onto metal surfaces are provided herein. More specifically, the disclosure relates to micro-etching stainless steel surfaces using to remove any organic contamination and chromium oxide formed on the surface, neutralize and strip the surface of any iron content, and repassivate the surface with a thin chromium oxide layer, prior to gold electroplating of the stainless steel surfaces.