Fabrication and characterization of copper-diamond particles

The electroless copper deposition on both pure and Cr-coated diamond particles was studied to produce copper/diamond composites for electronic packaging materials. The particles were characterized and the mechanism of product formation was investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). The particle coating thickness was measured using optical micrographs. The diamond particles got uniform coating thickness of copper crystals layers. This method provided an excellent base for the fabrication of metal-based composites using cheap equipments, and was less time consuming, nature friendly and economical compared with other methods of diamond surface metallization.