Appeal 2007-1209
Application 10/763,979
water;
a metal ion in an amount sufficient to provide a metal deposit on a
platable substrate;
a complexing agent of an organic compound having between 4 and 18
carbon atoms which compound includes at least two hydroxyl groups and a
five or six membered ring that contains at least one oxygen atom, with the
compound being present in an amount sufficient to complex the metal ion to
render it soluble in the solution and to inhibit oxidation of the metal ion; and
a pH of the solution in the range of between 3.5 and 5.5, adjusted, if
necessary, by the addition of a suitable pH adjusting agent;
wherein the complexing agent and metal ion are present in a
concentration ratio of between about 2:1 and 9:1 to reduce or minimize
agglomeration of the substrates during electroplating; and
passing a current though the solution to provide metal electrodeposits
on the substrates without causing significant agglomeration of such
substrates during the electroplating;
wherein the substrates are composite articles having electroplatable
and non-electroplatable portions.
The Examiner relies upon the following reference as evidence of
obviousness:
TORU JP 02301588 A Dec. 13, 1990
Appellant's claimed invention is directed to a method for
electroplating a metal deposit on a substrate by contacting the substrate with
a solution comprising water, a metal ion of the metal to be deposited, and a
complexing agent which maintains the metal ion in solution. The
complexing agent is an organic compound having between 4 and 18 carbon
2
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