Sputtered metal-polyimide interface

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been used to study the metal polyimide interface formed during room temperature metal deposition. Several mono-layers of Al, Au and Cu were sputter-deposited onto cured polyimide, to a thickness which permitted the observation of both polyimide and metal peaks. Deconvolution of core-level Cls, Nls and Ols polyimide peaks and A12p, Au4f and Cu2p3/2 metal overlayer peaks has demonstrated that chemical reaction occurs at the carbonyl sites for all these metals under the conditions used. In addition, the aromatic nature of the molecular structure at the interface is believed to decrease while the percentage of an isoimide-like component increases. 

Metal thin films deposited on polymers are widely used in various industrial domains such as microelectronics (capacitors), magnetic recording, packaging, etc. Despite much attention that has been paid in the recent literature on the adhesive properties of metals films on polyimide (PI)( 1 - 5 ) and polyethyleneterephtalate (PET)((L) it appears that a better knowledge of the metal/polymer interface is needed. In this paper we focus ourself on the relationship between the adhesion and the structural properties of the aluminum films evaporated (or sputtered) on commercial bi-axially stretched PET (Du Pont de Nemours (Luxembourg) S.A.). A variety of treatment (corona, fluorine,etc.) have been applied in order to improve the adhesion of the metallic layer to the polymer. The crystallographic... 

---