ION-BEAM MODIFICATION OF INJECTION-MOLDED POLYMERE MATERIALS

Ion beam based treatments and processes are an ecologically friendly a lternative for the metallization of polymers. Nowadays mainly chemical and electrochemical and plasma assisted techniques are used. In this contribution the copper metallization of high temperature thermoplasts using ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) was studied. The applicatio ns in mind were magnetic shielding of cases for sensors. The influence of ion beam intensity and energy, deposition rate, preconditioning an d substrate material on the Cu adhesion was investigated. As materials PPS (Polyphenylene sulfide) and LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) with dif ferent filling materials were used. It could be shown that the adhesio n reacts very critical to the type of polymer and the type and concent ration of filling material. The IBAD parameters giving best results ar e I/A ratios of 0.005-0.01 and energies of 0.5-2 keV. The highest adhe sion force (approximate to 27 N/mm(2)) was measured on PPS. For LCP th in Ti interlayers increased the adhesion force approximate to 50% up t o values above 10 N/mm(2). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.