Electrical component preparation utilizing a pre-acid treatment followed by chemical metal deposition

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, SUCH AS PRINTED CIRCUITS, CAPACITORS, AND THE LIKE, HAVING CURRENT-CARRYING, COPPER-COVERED AREAS ON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF AN INSULATING BODY MADE OF A CERAMIC MATERIAL HAVING INTERMOLECULAR OXYGEN LINKAGE BONDS, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE: TREATING SAID SURFACE WITH A STRONG ACID EFFECTIVE SUBSTANTIALLY CHEMICALLY TO ETCH AND HENCE REACT WITH THE SAME TO BREAK THE OXYGEN BONDS THEREIN AND ATTACH TO THE BROKEN BONDS A SUBSTITUENT READILY REPLACEABLE BY A NOBLE METAL ION, THEN SUBJECTING SAID TREATED SURFACE TO A WEAK SOLUTION OF A REDUCIBLE NOBLE METAL SALT, THE NOBLE METAL PORTION OF WHICH ENGAGES IN AN ION-EXCHANGE REACTION WITH SAID SUBSTITUENT WHERE THE NOBLE METAL IONS BECOME CHEMICALLY BONDED TO THE INSULATING BODY, THEN REMOVING EXCESS NOBLE METAL SALT FROM THE INSULATING BODY, THEN CONTACTING SAID SURFACE WITH A REDUCING AGENT WHEREBY TO REDUCE THE NOBLE METAL IONS TO METALLIC FORM TO EFFECT DEPOSITION OF A THIN NON-CONDUCTIVE FILM OF SAID NOBLE METAL ON SAID SURFACE, AND THEN FORMING CONDUCTIVE DEPOSITS OF COPPER ON SAID THIN FILM OF NOBLE METAL TO FORM CURRENT-CARRYING CONDUCTIVE AREAS ON SAID INSULATING BODY.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PRODUCING ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, SUCH AS PRINTED CIRCUITS, CAPACITORS, AND THE LIKE, HAVING CURRENT-CARRYING, COPPER-COVERED AREAS ON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF AN INSULATING BODY MADE OF A CERAMIC MATERIAL HAVING INTERMOLECULAR OXYGEN LINKAGE BONDS, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE: TREATING SAID SURFACE WITH A STRONG ACID EFFECTIVE SUBSTANTIALLY CHEMICALLY TO ETCH AND HENCE REACT WITH THE SAME TO BREAK THE OXYGEN BONDS THEREIN AND ATTACH TO THE BROKEN BONDS A SUBSTITUENT READILY REPLACEABLE BY A NOBLE METAL ION, THEN SUBJECTING SAID TREATED SURFACE TO A WEAK SOLUTION OF A REDUCIBLE NOBLE METAL SALT, THE NOBLE METAL PORTION OF WHICH ENGAGES IN AN ION-EXCHANGE REACTION WITH SAID SUBSTITUENT WHERE THE NOBLE METAL IONS BECOME CHEMICALLY BONDED TO THE INSULATING BODY, THEN REMOVING EXCESS NOBLE METAL SALT FROM THE INSULATING BODY, THEN CONTACTING SAID SURFACE WITH A REDUCING AGENT WHEREBY TO REDUCE THE NOBLE METAL IONS TO METALLIC FORM TO EFFECT DEPOSITION OF A THIN NON-CONDUCTIVE FILM OF SAID NOBLE METAL ON SAID SURFACE, AND THEN FORMING CONDUCTIVE DEPOSITS OF COPPER ON SAID THIN FILM OF NOBLE METAL TO FORM CURRENT-CARRYING CONDUCTIVE AREAS ON SAID INSULATING BODY.