Metal Deposition on Laser Modified Teflon Surfaces

Abstract

ABSTRACTCu, Ni, and Au were deposited with defined patterns and good adhesion by electroless plating, e-beam evaporation, and sputtering onto Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE), Teflon ET (PTFE-co-ethylene), Teflon FEP (PTFE-co-hexafluoropropylene) and Teflon PFA (PTFE-coperfluoroalkoxy vinyl ether) surfaces. The polymers had been irradiated in a tetramethyl – ammonium hydoxide solution (TMAH) by a Nd:YAG laser at 266 rim and by an excimer laser at 248 nrm prior to the metal deposition process. Both, the treated and virgin polymer surfaces were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Micro-Raman spectroscopy. The increased metal to polymer adhesion at the interface was found to be due to chemical changes and is in the order Ni > Cu ≅ Au.