Interaction of Cr, Ti, Al, Ag, Au, and Cu with Teflon PFA (polytetrafluoroethylene-co-pefluoroalkoxy vinyl ether) and FEP (fluoroethylene propylene), and the effect of x-ray irradiation on the metal/polymer interfaces, were studied using in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and mass spectrometry. Cr, Ti, and Al were found to react with both PFA and FEP, leading to polymer surface graphitization and formation of carbide and fluoride species, which are enhanced at higher metal thicknesses. On the other hand, evaporation of Au, Ag and Cu causes only a slight loss of fluorine, but no chemical interaction occurs. Post-deposition x-ray irradiation does not promote metal-polymer interactions, but it leads, in the case of reactive metals, to a pronounced increase of the C-CFn peak intensity, which rises with the metal thickness. A mechanism based on radical recombination reaction and accumulation of the small fragments, inside the metal film and/or near the metal/polymer interface, is proposed to explain this behavior. The metal XPS signal decreases upon x-ray exposure, which is interpreted by diffusion of metals into the polymer matrix. The relative change in XPS signal is enhanced at longer x-ray irradiations, but decreases at a higher metal thickness. This effect is most pronounced for Cu, Cr, and FEP.