Adhesion to Sodium Naphthalenide Treated Fluoropolymers. Part III. Mechanism of Adhesion

Adhesion of fluoropolymers to copper and to other polymers is examined using a range of fluoropolymer types (PTFE, PFA, extruded, skived and cast films), surface modification techniques such as sodium naphthalenide (Na/naphth), acid stripping and lamination to produce surfaces of controlled roughness, and three tests of adhesion (90 degree peel tests, torsional shear tests and stripping of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) replicas). A combination of chemical and physical modification is required to produce good adhesion, with the relative importance of each dependent upon the specific adhesion test used. For relatively smooth-surfaced films, Na/naphth appears to function by increasing both the chemical functionality and the mechanical integrity of a surface layer. Untreated PTFE and PFA show interfacial failure and negligible adhesion. Smooth-surfaced PTFE with superficial surface modification, e.g. after lamination to shiny copper foil or after acid stripping of defluorinated material, often fails by fibrillation of the fluoropolymer surface. For short sodium etch times, adhesion is improved and the failure mode is interfacial. For long etch times, there is a mixed mode of failure. Fibrillation in smooth-surfaced PFA systems was not observed. Adequate adhesive strength in these systems could only be achieved by an increase in the surface roughness. The best adhesion could be achieved by surface roughening, followed by Na/naphth treatment. For such PTFE surfaces plated with copper, peel and shear tests showed a mixed mode of failure, with copper and fluoropolymer found on both failure surfaces by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Extensive fibrillation occurred at the locus of failure. Provided chemical modification is adequate to allow wetting, the roughness of the surface dominates the properties of the adhesive bond. Prolonged Na/naphth treatment (e.g. one hour) causes a reduction in peel strengths.     

Adhesion to Sodium Naphthalenide Treated Fluoropolymers. Part II. Effects of Treatment Conditions and Fluoropolymer Structure

Films of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorinated copolymers (PFA and FEP), with a range of fabrication histories, were exposed to sodium naphthalenide (Na/naphth) etchant so as to defluorinate the surface for improved wettability, and hence adhesion. The depth of defluorination was measured gravimetrically and the nature of the chemical functionalities determined spectroscopically. For smooth films, the fluoropolymer type and crystallinity had little effect on the defluorination process. Surface area was the major variable affecting defluorination rate, although the presence of surface defects and deformation in skived films also increased the rate of defluorination. For all but the skived PTFE, there was little change in surface texture either after defluorination or subsequent stripping of the defluorinated layer by an acid etch. Acid stripping of the defluorinated layer on skived PTFE left a porous surface texture. The chemical nature of the surface could be changed by modifying the post-etch treatment of the specimen, for example by modifying the rinse procedure and the storage history of the specimen before the adhesive bond is made.     

Analysis of the Molecular Structure at the PPS/Copper Interphase and its Role in Adhesion

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to examine the interfacial chemistry in polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)/copper bonded laminates. Several surface pretreatments were studied including a simple methanol wash, two acid etches, thermal oxidation and chemical oxidation. Peel test analysis showed poor adhesion to the methanol-washed and acid-etched foils, giving a peel strength of only 3-5 g/mm. XPS analysis of the failure surfaces revealed a large amount of inorganic sulfide at the interface with reduction of the copper oxide. Chemical oxidation using an alkaline potassium persulfate solution gave a matt-black surface consisting of primarily cupric oxide. These samples showed improved adhesion and XPS analysis of the failure surfaces revealed fracture through a mixed PPS/cuprous oxide layer. A simple thermal oxidation yielded a cuprous oxide surface layer and laminates bonded to these surfaces showed a more than ten-fold increase in peel strength. XPS analysis of the failure surfaces showed much lower amounts of interfacial copper sulfide and it was postulated that excess sulfide at the interface was responsible for the poor adhesion observed for other pretreatments.     

Effects of surface modification by remote hydrogen plasma on adhesion in poly(tetrafluoroethylene)/copper composites

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) sheet was modified with the remote hydrogen plasma, and the effect of the modification on adhesion between the PTFE sheet and copper metal was investigated. The remote hydrogen plasma was able to make PTFE surfaces hydrophilic without etching. In the modification process, defluorination and oxidation occurred on the PTFE surface. Reactivity of defluorination was 25% (estimated from the concentration of CF₂ component) −39% (estimated from the F/C atom ratio). Surface modification of PTFE surface by remote hydrogen plasma contributed to the adhesion between PTFE and copper metal. Peel strength was improved from 7.5 to 92 mN/5 mm by surface modification by a factor of 12. Failure of the PTFE/copper adhesive joint occurred at the interface between the PTFE and copper metal layers, rather than in the inner layer of the PTFE polymer or copper metal layers. Remote hydrogen plasma treatment is a preferable pretreatment of PTFE surface for the fabrication of PTFE and copper metal composites. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 2191–2200, 1999     

Tantalum and chromium adhesion to polyimide. Part 2. Peel and locus of failure analyses

Ta and Cr adhesion to 3,3'-4,4'-biphenyl tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride-p-phenylenediamine derived (BPDA-PDA) polyimide (PI) surfaces has been studied before treatment, and after CF₄ reactive ion etching (RIE), and Ar sputtering. The initial peel adhesion results for both metals on the BPDA-PDA surfaces are comparable and show increased peel adhesion as a function of the surface treatment in the following order: virgin (no treatment) < Ar sputter < CF₄ RIE ~ CF₄ RIE followed by Ar sputter. The surface roughness effect on metal/PI adhesion has also been investigated. The data suggest that the surface roughness does not primarily affect peel adhesion. In this case, it is the removal of the weak boundary layer and the cracking of the residual PI on the metal peel interface surface during the peeling process which cause the increase in the peel strength. It is also proposed that the changes observed in the peel strength as a function of the surface treatment are due to differences in the fracture toughness of the modified PI layers rather than differences in the surface roughness.     

Modification of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) and copper foil surfaces by graft polymerization for adhesion improvement

Thermal graft polymerization-induced lamination of surface-modified copper foil to surface-modified poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film was achieved in the presence of an epoxy resin adhesive and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer, or in the presence of GMA and hexamethylenediamine (HEDA). The copper foil surfaces were pretreated with an organosilane coupling agent (SCA), such as (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysiane, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate, or N¹-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]diethylene-triamine. The silanized copper foils were subjected to brief Ar plasma treatment and subsequently to UV-induced graft polymerization with GMA (the Cu-SCA-g-GMA surface). Surface modification of PTFE film included Ar plasma treatment alone, or Ar plasma pretreatment followed by UV-induced graft polymerization with GMA (the GMA-g-PTFE surface). The modified surfaces and interfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements. The Cu-SCA-g-GMA/epoxy resin-GMA/PTFE or Cu-SCA-g-GMA/GMA–HEDA/GMA-g-PTFE laminates exhibited T-peel adhesion strengths in excess of 9 N/cm and the joints delaminated by cohesive failure inside the bulk of the PTFE film. The strong adhesion in these Cu foil-PTFE laminates is attributable to the fact that the GMA chains are covalently tethered on both the PTFE and the silanized Cu surfaces, as well the fact that these grafted GMA chains are covalently incorporated into the highly crosslinked network structure of the adhesive at the interphase.     

Lamination of conductive polypyrrole films to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) films via interfacial graft copolymerization

A simple technique for the lamination of a conductive polymer film to an inert dielectric polymer film was demonstrated. The electrochemically synthesized and p‐toluenesulfonic acid‐doped polypyrrole (PPY) film was laminated simultaneously to the argon plasma‐pretreated PTFE film during the thermally induced graft copolymerization of the PTFE surface with a functional monomer. The graft copolymerization was carried out using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer containing 20% v/v hexamethyldiamine (HMDA) and in the absence of any polymerization initiator. Thermally induced graft copolymerization of the GMA monomer on the PPY surface was minimal. The lap shear and T‐peel adhesion strengths of the laminates were found to be dependent on the GMA graft concentration on the PTFE surface, which, in turn, was affected by the plasma pretreatment time of the film. To increase the GMA graft concentration for the enhancement of adhesion strength, the plasma‐pretreated PTFE surfaces were premodified via UV‐induced graft copolymerization with GMA prior to the simultaneous thermal graft copolymerization and lamination process. The modified surfaces and interfaces were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Through XPS measurements of the delaminated surfaces, it was found that the PPY/PTFE laminates failed predominantly by cohesive failure inside the PTFE substrate. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 716–727, 2001     

Surface Modification of Poly(Tetrafluoroethylene) Films by Graft Copolymerization for Adhesion Improvement with Sputtered In-Sn Oxides

Surface modification of Ar plasma-pretreated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) films was carried out via UV-induced graft Copolymerization with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), acrylamide (AAm) and hydroxylethylacrylate (HEA) to improve the adhesion strength with sputtered indium-tin-oxide (ITO). The surface compositions of the graftcopolymerized PTFE films were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The graft yield increases with increasing monomer concentration and Ar plasma pre-treatment time of the PTFE films. The T-peel adhesion strength was affected by the type of monomer used for graft Copolymerization, the graft concentration, and the thermal post-treatment after ITO deposition. A double graft-copolymerization process, which involved initially the graft copolymeri/ation with AAm or HEA, followed by graft Copolymerization with GMA. was also employed to enhance the adhesion of sputtered ITO to PTFE. T-peel adhesion strengths in excess of 8 N cm were achieved in the ITO graft-modified PTFE laminates. The adhesion failure of the ITO/PTFE laminates in T-peel tests was found to occur inside the PTFE films. The electrical resistance of ITO on all graft-modified PTFE surfaces before and after thermal post-treatment remained conslant at about 30 Ω square, suggesting that the graft layer did not have any significant effect or. the electrical properties of the deposited ITO.     

Processing and characterization of multilayer films of poly(ethylene terephthalate) and surface-modified poly(tetrafluoroethylene)

Multilayer films were prepared from poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films together with using an adhesion promoting layer (tie-layer) consisting of ethylene-methyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (E-MA-GMA) terpolymer and low density polyethylene (LDPE) blend. Na/naphthalene treatment and subsequent acrylic acid grafting were applied on the surfaces of PTFE for chemical modification. FT-IR spectroscopy, XPS analysis and surface energy measurements were performed to characterize the modified PTFE films. The analyses showed defluorination and oxidation of PTFE surface, and supported the acrylic acid grafting. The surface energy of modified surfaces enhanced with respect to unmodified one, which promoted adhesion. The multilayers were subjected to T-peel tests to measure the adhesion strength between PET and modified PTFE. Peel strength between the films increased with increasing E-MA-GMA amount in the tie-layer. A proportional dependence of peel strength on Na/naphthalene treatment time was observed for multilayers containing acrylic acid grafted or ungrafted PTFE. From SEM analysis, it was observed that the texture of the PTFE surface after modifications became rougher when compared to untreated PTFE. The peeled surfaces were also analyzed by SEM. The micrographs evidence that the energy absorbing mechanism is the plastic deformation of the tie-layer, which is responsible for obtaining high peel strengths.     

Adhesion of copper to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces modified with vacuum UV radiation from helium arc plasma

Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) film surfaces were exposed to vacuum UV (VUV) radiation from He dc arc plasmas that were made to rotate inside a graphite tube by the application of an auxiliary magnetic field. The films were covered with optical filters having different cutoff wavelengths to vary the VUV radiation that modified the fluoropolymer surface. Photo-etching was detected, as well as surface modification that showed the following: (1) water contact angles decreasing with wavelengths of 173 nm or shorter; (2) surface roughening; (3) defluorination of the surface and formation of cross-linking bonds in the top 10 nm of the surface as detected by XPS analysis; and (4) incorporation of oxygen upon exposure to air. An improvement in the adhesion of copper to these modified surfaces was observed.     

Improvement in the adhesion between copper metal and polyimide substrate by plasma polymer deposition of cyano compounds onto polyimide

The surface modification of Kapton film by means of plasma polymer deposition is discussed from the viewpoint of improving the adhesion between copper metal and Kapton film substrate. Plasma polymers of AN (acrylonitrile) and FN (fumaronitrile) were used for the surface modification, and the adhesion between the copper metal and the plasma polymer-coated Kapton film was evaluated by the T-peel strength measurement. The surfaces of peeled layers were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and the failure mode is discussed. The plasma polymer deposition of AN and FN shows an effective improvement in the adhesion between the copper metal and Kapton film; in particular, the AN plasma polymer deposition increased the peel strength 4.3 times. Failure occurred mainly in the Kapton film, and the adhesion between the AN plasma polymer and the Kapton film and that between the copper metal and the AN plasma polymer were found to be quite strong.     

Functionalization and metallization of fluoropolymer surfaces through reduction1,2

Fluoropolymer films, such as Teflon?-TFE [poly(tetrafluoroethylene)], Teflon?-FEP [copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene], Teflon?-PFA [copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro(propyl vinyl ether)], and PCTFE [poly(chlorotrifluoroethylene)], are reduced by the mild reducing agent benzoin dianion/DMSO, while Teflon?-AF [copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and perfluoro-2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole] is unreactive. The reduction makes the films adherable toward epoxy resins, the adhesive strength decreasing in the order PCTFE>PFA≥FEP>PTFE. Surprisingly, Teflon?-AF films are totally inert except when the TFE content is high, and in these cases the adhesive strength of Teflon?-AF is close to that of PTFE. The surfaces of PTFE, FEP and PFA films are further modified by first treating these films with the benzoin dianion/DMSO reagent and then with an excess of sodium salts of mercaptans. Reactive PTFE films that are light colored with a metallic luster are formed rather than the dark, metallic color typical of PTFE surface reduction without mercaptan treatment. These films have poor adhesion toward epoxy resins but good adhesion toward gold applied by sputtering. FEP and PFA films behaved similarly. These results are attributed to the incorporation of sulfur onto the reduced surface. Unreduced fluoropolymer films reacted with only sodium mercaptan fail to show C—S bond incorporation. This newly developed method can be used to selectively metallize the fluoropolymer film surface with gold layers and affords very high conductivity of the metallized regions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Surface modification of thermotropic poly(oxybenzoate‐co‐oxynaphthoate) copolyester by remote oxygen plasma for copper metalization

Poly(oxybenzoate‐co‐oxynaphthoate) (POCO) film surfaces were modified with remote oxygen plasma, and the effects of the modification on the adhesion between the copper layer and POCO were investigated. The remote‐oxygen‐plasma treatment led to a noticeable decrease in the contact angle, which was mainly due to the C? O functional groups on the surface. The modification of the POCO surface by remote oxygen plasma was effective in improving the adhesion with copper metal. The peel strength for the copper metal/POCO system was enhanced from 10 to 127.5 mN/5 mm by the surface modification. The failure mode of the copper metal/POCO system was an interface layer between the oxidized micro‐POCO fibril surface and the copper metal layer. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 2400–2408, 2003     

Adhesion Properties and Structure of Ion-Beam Modified Polyimide Films

Polyimide (PI) surface modification was carried out by an ion beam treatment to improve the adhesion between the polyimide film and copper. The PI film surface was treated with an ion-beam source at ion doses ranging from 1.96 × 10¹³ to 2.38 × 10¹³ ions/cm² using a mixture of nitrogen (N₂) and hydrogen (H₂). Contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively revealed an increase in the surface roughness, a decrease in contact angle, and the formation of oxygen complexes and functional groups on the treated PI surfaces. Adhesion between the copper and PI film treated with the beam was superior to that of the untreated PI film. The 90° peel test revealed the highest peel strength of 7.8 N/cm.     

Laser-Enhanced Gas Phase Surface Modifications of Teflon AF1600 for Increased Copper Adhesion

Multilevel interconnect devices, made of alternating layers of a low permittivity polymer (e.g., Teflon AF1600^TM) and a low resistivity metal (e.g., copper), are increasingly being used in microelectronics in order to decrease the RC signal transmission time delay. The mechanical stability of the multilevel interconnects is related to the adhesion developed at the metal-dielectric interface. Since Cu/Teflon AF1600 adhesion is moderate and may not satisfy the requirements of the microelectronics industry, new treatments of the fluoropolymer surface are needed to improve it. In this note, we present several surface modifications, such as the formation of reactive sites during intense X-ray exposure, and S- or N-grafting, activated by UV radiation in the presence of H₂S and NH₃; copper is well known to react with both thiols (R—SH) and amines (R—NH₂) to form strong bonds. Both X-ray exposure and N-grafting lead to enhanced adhesion.     

Activated Poly(hydromethylsiloxane)s as Novel Adhesion Promoters for Metallic Surfaces

A poly(hydromethylsiloxane) (PHMS) was bound to aluminum, copper and steel surfaces via activation with cis-[PtCl₂(PhCH = CH₂)₂] in solution at room temperature. The attached polymer promotes the adhesion to two-component silicone resins where the curing process is based on catalytic hydrosilylation of olefins. In lap-shear or peel tests, cohesive failure was always observed. An example shows that the adhesive joint withstood boiling water for 200 h without considerable loss of adhesive strength. It is suggested that a small fraction of the olefinic component of the resin, e.g., a poly(dimethylsiloxane) containing some olefinic groups, is also connected with the attached PHMS via catalytic hydrosilylation, thus binding the silicone resin to the surface via the PHMS layer.     

Improved adhesion between Kapton film and copper metal by silane-coupling reactions

Kapton film, poly[(N,N′-oxydiphenylene)pyromellitimide], was modified by silane-coupling reactions using 3′(trimethoxysilyl)propoxy-2-hydroxypro-pyl-1,3-diazole (Si–imidazole) to improve the adhesion with copper metal. The Kapton film surface was first treated with argon plasma for 30 s, then dipped into a methanol solution of Si–imidazole (0.01 wt %), followed by heating at 110°C for 90 min. The Kapton surfaces, modified by the argon plasma and Si–imizadole coupling reactions, were analyzed by water contact-angle measurement, atomic force microscopy, and XPS. The Si–imidazole modification showed a large increase in adhesion between the copper metal and the Kapton film. The peel strength of the copper metal/Kapton film joint increased from 0.94 to 2.4 N/5 mm. The failure occurred at the interface between the Si–imidazole and the Kapton film layer. We conclude that the Si–imidazole modification is an effective treatment for improvement of the adhesion between copper metal and Kapton film. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 73: 1645–1654, 1999     

Adhesion improvement of RF-sputtered alumina coatings as determined by the scratch test

One of the most important problems to overcome in the production of coatings, a major technology in surface modification, is the maximization of coating to substrate adhesion. In spite of its limitations, the scratch technique is most used in adhesion characterization studies. In this study, the adhesion of alumina coatings deposited by RF magnetron sputtering on AISI M2 high speed steel (HSS) was evaluated by the scratch test. An attempt to improve the adhesion of the alumina coatings was investigated by the deposition of an intermediate layer of Ti or TiN. The influence of the substrate surface roughness, the intermediate layer thickness, and the sputter etch cleaning on the coating adhesion was studied.     

Surface modification of tetrafluoroethylene–hexafluoropropylene (FEP) copolymer by remote H2, N2, O2, and Ar plasmas

Tetrafluoroethylene–hexafluoropropylene (FEP) copolymer sheets were modified by remote H₂, N₂, O₂, and Ar plasmas, and the effects of the modification on adhesion between FEP sheets and copper metal were investigated. The four plasmas were able to modify the FEP surfaces' hydrophilicity. Defluorination and oxidation reactions on the FEP surfaces occurred with exposure to the plasma. The hydrophilic modification by H₂ plasma was best, followed by modification by O₂, Ar, and N₂ plasmas. The surface modification of FEP by all four remote plasmas was effective in improving adhesion with copper metal. The peel strength order of the FEP/Cu adhesive joints was H₂ plasma > Ar plasma > N₂ plasma > O₂ plasma. Mild surface modification is important for the adhesion improvement of FEP with Cu metal. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 1258–1267, 2002     

Interphases in the Adhesive Bonding of Fluoropolymers

Strong and durable adhesive bonds may be made between polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and either cyanoacrylate (CA) or epoxy adhesives, if the PTFE surface is modified by the use of a “primer” such as triphenylphosphine (TPP) or diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM). The primer mixes with the PTFE surface, and the modified surface is then capable of forming an interphase, tens to hundreds of nanometers thick, where interpenetration of the adhesive and adherend occurs. Using CA adhesives, PTFE/CA/PTFE block compression shear bond strength (ASTM D4501-85) of over 10 MPa can be achieved, with failure occurring cohesively. Initial work with epoxy adhesives indicates that the use of DDM primer gives adhesive bonds comparable in strength with those produced by modification of the fluoropolymer surface by sodium naphthalenide.