A number of surface pre-treatments have been studied for their effectiveness on the adhesion strength between magnetron sputtered copper (Cu) thin film and polycrystalline alumina (Al2O3) substrate. The treatments include organic solvent cleaning, acid washing, heat treatment, plasma cleaning, and they were organized into different sequences in order to evaluate their individual contribution to the film adhesion. Adhesion strength was measured mechanically using a pull test. By proper pre-treatment, the adhesive strength of at least 34 MPa can be achieved with direct sputtering of Cu thin film onto the Al2O3 substrate. With the help of XPS, SEM, XRD, TGA and contact angle measurement, the effect of the different substrate surface treatment techniques has been elucidated. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.