LASER-ENHANCED METAL DEPOSITION.

The authors identify and discuss the following distinct modes of deposition: electroless enhanced plating, selective immersion plating, laser-enhanced electroplating of copper and gold, and laser jet plating. In addition to plating, it was demonstrated that the laser-enhanced techniques are also applicable to electroetching and selective chemical etching of stainless steel and materials such as Al//2O//3,TiC, Si, polyimide, etc. The authors also discuss a new approach to highly selective, maskless plating and etching methods which exceeds any plating or etching rates known to date.