Metallization methods of polyimide by hyperthermal atomic oxygen and atomic fluorine beams were developed. An atomic fluorine beam with atranslational energy of 6.2 eV modified the wettability of polyimide surfaces to provide an advancing water contact angle of 132 degrees. It was confirmed that in-air storage for 2 months did not alter the hydrophobic property created by the atomic fluorine beam. This stable bearn-indUced surface fluorination technique was then applied to site-selective electroless Cu platingon polyimide. Itwas demonstrated thatchanging the exposure sequence could create both positive- and negative-type plating processes.