Lp. Buchwalter et R. Saraf, TANTALUM AND CHROMIUM ADHESION TO POLYIMIDE .1. BPDA-PDA SURFACE IMIDIZATION AND MODIFICATION, Journal of adhesion science and technology, 7(9), 1993, pp. 925-940
BPDA-PDA (3,3',4,4'-biphenyl dianhydride-p-phenylenediamine) tetracarb
oxylic acid derived polyimide (PI) surface imidization is initiated at
the 230-degrees-C cure step and reaches completion at the 300-degrees
-C bake. Exposure of BPDA-PDA to CF4 reactive ion etching (RIE) result
s in a highly fluorinated surface, as expected. Ar sputter exposure of
this highly fluorinated surface causes a significant reduction in the
fluorine concentration and deposition of metal from the sample pallet
. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses sh
ow that CF4 RIE treatment results in significant surface roughening of
the polyimide, whereas Ar sputtering smoothens the virgin and the CF4
RIE exposed polyimide.