IMPROVED ADHESION OF ALUMINUM LAYERS DEPOSITED ON PLASMA AND THERMALLY TREATED POLY(PARA-PHENYLENE-VINYLENE) FILMS SUBSTRATES

Searching for better adhesion properties of metallic thin films to pol ymer substrates, we have studied the influence of the plasma and therm al treatments of poly(paraphenylene-vinylene) thin films on their adhe sion to aluminum layers. The adhesion was found to be substantially in creased when the polymer surface was treated with oxygen by RF sputter ing, or when it was kept at high temperature prior to the metal deposi tion. An attempt has been made to explain the adhesion improvement in terms of surface analysis (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results of the treated surfaces. Both the metal-oxygen-carbon complex formation at the interface and the roughness induced by the oxygen tr eatment were found to be the reasons for the improved adhesion propert ies.