May 5,  2011  15  US 2011/0104454 Al  a substrate to form a coated film for forming a layer to be  plated, energy is applied to a portion of the coated film to cure  the coated film at this portion.  [0195]  In one preferable embodiment, the specific polymer  in the layer to be plated is bound to the substrate via a radical  polymerizable group included in the molecule of the specific  polymer.  [0196]  When the composition is coated on the substrate, the  coating amount of the composition is preferably from 0.1 to  10 g/m 2 ,  more preferably from 0.5 to 5 g/m 2 ,  in terms of solid  content, from the viewpoint of achieving a sufficient level of  interaction with the plating catalyst or a precursor thereof  [0197]  When the composition including the specific poly› mer is coated on the substrate and dried to form a layer  including the specific polymer, the layer may be left to stand  at 20 to 40°  C. for 0.5 to 2 hours to remove the residual  solvent, between the processes of coating and drying.  [0198]  The coating of the composition for forming a layer  to be plated according to the invention on the substrate may be  performed by immersing the substrate in the composition.  However, from the viewpoint ofhandleability or production  efficiency, it is preferred to form a layer composed of the  composition on the surface of the substrate ( or the surface of  the adhesion-aiding layer) by a coating method.  [0199]  When the substrate is a resin film and the layer is  formed from the composition on both sides of the resin film,  the coating method is also preferred in view of ease of for› mation of the layer on both sides of the substrate at the same  time.  [0200]  Application of Energy  [0201]  In step (1), after coating the composition for form› ing a layer to be plated according to the invention on the  substrate, energy is applied to the composition that has been  coated on the substrate.  [0202]  The application of energy is preferably conducted  by heating, exposure or the like. Heating and exposure may be  used together. In view of ease of formation of a patterned  image, exposure is preferred.  [0203]  For exposure, light irradiation can be conducted  using a UV lamp, visible rays or the like. Examples of the  light source include a mercury lamp, a metal halide lamp, a  xenon lamp, a chemical lamp, and a carbon arc lamp.  Examples of radiation rays include electron beams, X-rays,  ion beams, and far-infrared rays. Moreover, g-line rays, i-line  rays, Deep-UV rays, high-density energy beams (laser  beams) are also applicable.  [0204]  Specific and favorable embodiments of commonly› used energy application include scan-exposure using infrared  laser beams, high-illuminance flash exposure using a xenon  discharge lamp or the like, and exposure with an infrared  lamp.  [0205]  From the viewpoints of sensitivity and resolution,  exposure is preferably carried out at the exposure wavelength  of from 250 nm to 400 nm, and more preferably from 280 nm  to 370nm.  [0206]  Exposure time varies depending on the reactivity of  the specific polymer and light source, but the exposure time is  generally in a range from 1 second to 5 hours in this whole  exposure process. For example, in a case in which a laser is  used in the exposure process, if exposure is carried out so that  ten lines each having the length of 10 cm are drawn with a  laser having the beam diameter of from 10  µm  to 300 µm,  lines may be drawn in the period of from several seconds to  several minutes, and exposure time per line may be less than  1 second.  [0207]  Further, exposure energy may be in the range of  from about 10 to 8000  ml,  and preferably from 100  ml  to  3000  ml.  [0208]  When patterned heating is conducted as a method of  applying energy, exposure with infrared rays or far-infrared  rays can be performed.  [0209]  Further, heating can be carried out as an additive  energy application after pattern exposure. In a case in which  the additive heating process is performed, for example, an air  blowing drier, an oven, a hot plate, an infrared drier, or a  heating drum can be used.  [021 OJ  When energy is applied to the composition in such a  manner as described above, curing reaction of the specific  polymer occurs only at a portion to which energy has been  applied. As a result, only the composition at this portion is  cured.  [0211]  Substrate  [0212]  The substrate used in step (1) is not particularly  limited as long as it can retain its shape, and preferably has a  surface capable of chemically bonding to the specific poly› mer. Specifically, the substrate itself may have an ability of  generating radicals upon exposure with light, or the substrate  may include a base member and, provided on the base mem - ber, an intermediate layer ( such as an adhesion-aiding layer as  described later) having an ability of generating radicals upon  exposure with light.  [0213]  Base Member and Substrate  [0214]  The base memberused in the invention is preferably  a plate-shaped and dimensionally stable material. Examples  thereofinclude a paper, a paper laminated with a plastic ( such  as polyethylene, polypropylene or polystylene ), a metal plate  (such as aluminum, zinc or copper), a plastic film (such as  cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose propionate,  cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, poly› ethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polypro› pylene, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, polyimide, epoxy,  bismaleimide resin, polyphenylene oxide, liquid crystal poly› mer, polytetrafluoroethylene or acrylonitrile-butadiene-sty› rene copolymer (ABS resin)), and a paper or plastic film on  which a metal as mentioned above is laminated or evaporated.  In the invention, a base member formed from an epoxy resin,  a polyimide resin, an ABS resin, or a polycarbonate resin is  preferred.  [0215]  When the surface of the base member has a function  of forming a state in which the specific polymer is directly  chemically bound thereto, the base member itself may be  used as the substrate.  [0216]  A base member including a polyimide having a  polymerization initiation site in the skeleton thereof, as  described in paragraphs [0028] to [0088] of JP-A No. 2005- 281350, may also be used for the substrate in the invention.  [0217]  The metal pattern material produced by the method  of producing a metal pattern material according to the inven› tion may be applied to a semiconductor package, various  kinds of electrical wiring boards, and the like. When the metal  pattern material is used in such applications, it is preferable to  use a substrate including an insulating resin as described  below. Specifically, it is preferable to use a substrate formed  from an insulating resin, or a substrate including a base mem› ber and, provided on the base member, a layer formed from an  insulating resin. 