Patent ID: 7666567

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) removing at least a portion of the catalyst transfer layer from the donor by thermal transfer to provide a patterned donor as said patterned substrate, and an exposed receiver; and (d) removing the exposed receiver from the patterned substrate; followed by plating metal onto said patterned substrate, to provide the patterned metal layer in connectivity with the patterned catalyst layer.