FORMING CONDUCTIVE METAL PATTERNS USING REACTIVE POLYMERS

1 . A method for forming a pattern in a polymeric layer, the method comprising:

providing a polymeric layer comprising a reactive composition that comprises:

(a) a reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total reactive polymer recurring units,

(b) a compound that provides an acid upon exposure to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, which acid has a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water,

(c) a crosslinking agent that is capable of reacting in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound to provide crosslinking in the (a) reactive polymer, and

(d) optionally, a photosensitizer,

patternwise exposing the polymeric layer to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, to provide a polymeric layer comprising non-exposed regions and exposed regions comprising a polymer comprising carboxylic acid groups,

optionally heating the polymeric layer simultaneously with or after patternwise exposing the polymeric layer but before contacting the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with electroless seed metal ions, at a temperature sufficient to generate carboxylic acid groups in the (a) reactive polymer in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer,

contacting the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with electroless seed metal ions to form a pattern of electroless seed metal ions in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer,

reducing the pattern of electroless seed metal ions to provide a pattern of corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer, and

electrolessly plating the corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with a metal that is the same as or different from the corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (c) crosslinking agent is part of the (a) reactive polymer as -B- recurring units comprising pendant groups that provide crosslinking in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound, which -B- recurring units are present in the (a) reactive polymer in an amount of at least 2 mol %, based on the total (a) reactive polymer recurring units.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (c) crosslinking agent is a compound distinct from the (a) reactive polymer.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the (c) crosslinking agent is an aziridine, carbodiimide, isocyanate, ketene, glycoluril formaldehyde resin, polycarboxylic acid or anhydride, polyamine, epihalohydrin, diepoxide, dialdehyde, diol, carboxylic acid halide, or mixture thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (a) reactive polymer comprises a backbone and arranged randomly along the backbone,

-A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester, the -A- recurring units being present in the (a) reactive polymer in an amount of at least 50 mol % and up to and including 98 mol % based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units, and

-B- recurring units comprising pendant epoxy groups in an amount of at least 2 mol % and up to and including 50 mol % based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the (a) reactive polymer further comprises one or more additional -C- recurring units that are different from all -A- and -B- recurring units, the one or more additional -C- recurring units being present in an amount of at least 1 mol % and up to and including 25 mol % based on the total (a) reactive polymer recurring units.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (a) reactive polymer comprises pendant t-butyl ester groups.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (a) reactive polymer comprises at least 50 weight % and up to 97 weight % of the total dry weight of the polymeric layer.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (b) compound is an arylsulfonium salt or aryliodonium salt that provides an acid having a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the (d) photosensitizer is present in the polymeric layer in an amount of at least 1 weight % based on the total solids in the polymeric layer.

11 . The method of claim 1 , comprising contacting the exposed regions in the polymeric layer with electroless seed metal ions selected from the groups consisting of silver ions, platinum ions, palladium ions, gold ions, rhodium ions, nickel ions, iridium ions, tin ions, and copper ions.

12 . The method of claim 1 , comprising electrolessly plating with a metal that is selected from the group consisting of copper(II), silver(I), gold(IV), palladium(II), platinum(II), nickel(II), chromium(II), and combinations thereof.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the polymeric layer simultaneously with or immediately after patternwise exposing the polymeric layer at a temperature sufficient to generate carboxylic acid groups in the (a) reactive polymer in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer.

14 . The method of claim 1 , comprising contacting the electroless seed metal ions in the exposed regions of the polymeric layer with a reducing agent that is a borane, aldehyde, hydroquinone, or sugar reducing agent.

15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after the patternwise exposing and optional heating, removing the reactive composition in the non-exposed regions of the polymeric layer using a solvent in which the reactive composition is soluble or dispersible.

16 . A precursor article comprising a substrate and having disposed thereon a polymeric layer comprising:

(a) a reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units,

(b) a compound that provides an acid upon exposure to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, which acid has a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water,

(c) a crosslinking agent that is capable of reacting in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound to provide crosslinking in the (a) reactive polymer, and

(d) optionally, a photosensitizer.

17 . (canceled)

18 . An intermediate article comprising a substrate and having disposed thereon a polymeric layer comprising exposed regions and non-exposed regions,

the exposed regions comprising corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei in a de-blocked and crosslinked polymer derived from a (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units, and

the non-exposed regions comprising a reactive composition that comprises:

the (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units,

(b) a compound that provides an acid upon exposure to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, which acid has a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water,

(c) a crosslinking agent that is capable of reacting in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound to provide crosslinking in the (a) reactive polymer, and

(d) optionally, a photosensitizer.

19 . A product article comprising a substrate and having disposed thereon a polymeric layer comprising exposed regions and non-exposed regions,

the exposed regions comprising corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei that have been electrolessly plated with the same or different metal in a de-blocked and crosslinked polymer derived from (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units, and

the non-exposed regions comprising a reactive composition that comprises:

the (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units,

(b) a compound that provides an acid upon exposure to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, which acid has a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water,

(c) a crosslinking agent that is capable of reacting in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound to provide crosslinking in the (a) reactive polymer, and

(d) optionally, a photosensitizer.

20 . A product article comprising a substrate and having disposed thereon a polymeric layer comprising exposed regions and non-exposed regions,

the exposed regions comprising corresponding electroless seed metal nuclei that have been electrolessly plated with the same or different metal in a de-blocked and crosslinked polymer derived from (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units, and

the non-exposed regions comprising no reactive composition that comprises:

the (a) reactive polymer comprising -A- recurring units comprising pendant tertiary alkyl ester groups in an amount of at least 25 mol %, based on total (a) reactive polymer recurring units,

(b) a compound that provides an acid upon exposure to radiation having a λ max of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm, which acid has a pKa of less than 2 as measured in water,

(c) a crosslinking agent that is capable of reacting in the presence of the acid provided by the (b) compound to provide crosslinking in the (a) reactive polymer, and

(d) optionally, a photosensitizer.