Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Vol.28, No.9, 971-977, 1998
Effects of current density on adhesion of copper electrodeposits to polyimide substrates
To provide protection, electrical conductivity, or a decorative finish, plastic components are often metallized by a three-step process: deposition of a catalytic palladium-layer followed by electroless and electrolytic plating. In this paper we focused on determining the relationship between applied current density used to electrodeposit copper and adhesion of the metal to a polyimide substrate. To test a range of current densities on a single sample, we deposited a series of copper strips on a planar sheet of the polyimide material and electrodeposited copper in a modified Hull cell. From peel tests we found that strips subjected to higher current density adhered more strongly to the substrate. This experimental procedure should be generally applicable to other metal-polymer systems.
Keywords:BOND