IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Surface Engineering Tuesday Sessions
       Session SE-TuM

Paper SE-TuM7
Polymer Metallization - Comparing the Effect of Pre- and Post Surface Modification on the Cu/PVC and Cu/PTFE Systems

Tuesday, October 30, 2001, 10:20 am, Room 132

Session: Surface Engineering II: Cleaning, Modification, and Finishing
Presenter: C.C. Perry, The Johns Hopkins University
Authors: C.C. Perry, The Johns Hopkins University
S.R. Carlo, The Johns Hopkins University
J. Torres, The Johns Hopkins University
D.H. Fairbrother, The Johns Hopkins University
Correspondent: Click to Email
The increasing requirements of fabricated industrial materials have provided the motivation for research in metallized plastics. Pre- and post surface polymer modification treatments are usually employed in industrial processes to improve adhesion at the metal/polymer interface. One factor that is believed to be important in improving metal/polymer adhesion characteristics during surface modification is the formation of metal salts at the metal/polymer interface. We present results on the effect of Ar@super +@ ion and X-ray pre- and post treatment strategies on the Cu/PVC and Cu/PTFE systems with respect to the formation of copper halides. On unmodified PVC, copper reacts to form copper(I) chloride but is unreactive on native PTFE. Post X-ray treatment of metallized PVC and PTFE was found to increase the metal chloride/fluoride content within the metal organic interface due to the production of reactive halogen species (e.g. fluorine radicals). In contrast to Cu/PVC, where copper(I) chloride is formed on both modified and unmodified PVC, the formation of copper (II) fluoride at the Cu/PTFE interface is shown to occur only after post-surface modification by x-rays and Ar@super +@ ions. The extent of copper (II) fluoride production was similar for both Ar@super +@ and X-ray irradiation post-treatment strategies for comparable initial copper coverages, suggesting a common reaction mechanism for the formation of copper (II) fluoride. Results will also be presented showing the effect of co-evaporated titanium on the nature of the Cu/PTFE interface.