SBIR Phase II: An Economical Continuous Metal Coating Method for Electronic and Other Applications

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将进行研究，开发一种在大面积移动基板上连续快速涂覆金属的新方法。目前，由于美国的环境法规，这些类型的涂层是电化学镀的，导致更高的运营成本，这增加了美国电子金属涂层行业在世界市场上的份额下降。因此，该技术的第一阶段结果引起了商业部门的兴趣，需要为已确定的客户进行原型演示。所提出的方法既适用于导电基材，也适用于不导电基材，既适用于刚性基材，也适用于柔性基材。在这个第二阶段的项目中，将开发用于电子应用的连续涂层非导电基板的原型。然后，金属涂层将以比传统方法更快的速度沉积。我们将进行进一步的研究，以满足客户对涂层质量和工艺经济的期望。此外，通过为已识别的客户运行设备，将确保过程的可重复性。最后，确定涂层价格，并进行成本效益分析。所提出的方法具有在预期的涂层操作中大幅度降低操作成本的潜力。铜、镍和其他金属涂层被广泛地镀在一些电子和汽车应用的非导电基板上。典型的应用包括蜂窝电话中的EMI/RFI屏蔽，计算机和平板显示器中使用的印刷线路板中的导体线，以及汽车中的装饰装饰。这种待开发的方法可以为目前使用的传统方法提供一种成本更低的替代方案，并使美国。涂料行业在国际市场竞争日趋激烈。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will conduct research to develop a new approach to coating metals continuously and rapidly on large areas of moving substrates. Currently, these types of coatings are electrochemically plated resulting in higher operating costs due to environmental regulations in the U.S. This has added to the declining share of the world market for the U.S. electronic metal-coating industry. Consequently, the Phase I results on the technique have generated interest in the commercial sector and a prototype demonstration is needed for the identified customers. The proposed method is suitable for coating conductive as well as nonconductive substrates, and rigid as well as flexible substrates. In this Phase II project, a prototype will be developed for continuously coating nonconductive substrates used in electronic applications. Then metal coatings will be deposited at a rate better than that of the conventional methods. Further research will be conducted to meet customer's expectations of the coating quality and process economics. In addition, process repeatability will be assured by running the equipment for the identified customers. Finally, the coating price will be determined and a cost benefit analysis will be performed. The proposed method has the potential to reduce operating costs in the intended coating operations substantially. Copper, nickel and other metal coatings are widely plated on nonconductive substrates in several electronic and automotive applications. Typical application include EMI/RFI shielding in cellular phones, conductor lines in printed wiring boards used in computers and flat panel displays, and decorative trims in automobiles. The method to be developed could provide a lower-cost alternative to the conventional methods in use today and make the US. coating industry more competitive in the international market.