Patent ID: 11898264
Assignee: HUTCHINSON TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A method of treating one or more stainless steel surfaces, comprising:
etching at least a portion of one or more stainless steel surfaces with an etchant solution comprised of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the one or more stainless steel surfaces including a metal circuit layer disposed on the one or more stainless steel surfaces, wherein a concentration of the potassium permanganate in the etchant solution is between 0.1 M and 0.4 M, and the sodium hydroxide is added until the etchant solution has a pH greater than 12.5;
exposing at least the portion of the one or more stainless steel surfaces to the etchant solution fora period of time between 1 second and 5 minutes and at a temperature between 5.0 and 85 degrees Celsius;
subsequently neutralizing at least the portion of the one or more stainless steel surfaces with a neutralizer solution comprised of ascorbic acid and citric acid;
repassivating at least the portion of the one or more stainless steel surfaces with a chromium oxide layer; and
removing the chromium oxide layer using a plating surface treatment operation.