Patent ID: 7666568

Claim:
A method for making a patterned metal layer having high conductivity comprising: providing a patterned substrate comprising a patterned catalyst layer on a base substrate; said patterned substrate made by a thermal imaging method comprising: (a) providing a thermal transfer donor comprising a base film and a catalyst transfer layer, wherein the catalyst transfer layer comprises: (i) a catalyst fraction; optionally (ii) an adhesion promoter fraction; and, optionally and independently, (iii) a polymer binder fraction; (b) contacting the thermal transfer donor with a receiver, wherein the receiver comprises a base layer; and (c) transferring at least a portion of the catalyst transfer layer onto the receiver by thermal transfer to provide a patterned receiver as said patterned substrate; and plating metal onto said patterned substrate, to provide the patterned metal layer in connectivity with the patterned catalyst layer, wherein said plating metal onto said patterned substrate is done by electroplating.