Preparation of Thin Metal Layers on Polymers

Abstract

Continuous gold layers of increasing thickness were prepared by the vacuum deposition method on pristine and plasma modified sheets of  PE, PET and PTFE. Various surface profiles were obtained. The surface morphology was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The continuity of the metal layer on the polymer surface was validated by measuring its electrical resistance. Changes in the wettability of the plasma treated polymers were evaluated by measuring the aging curves. These were obtained as the dependence of contact angle on ageing time.