Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Copper films with a small amount of an alloy element (1 wt % Ti) were metallized on polyimide. Plasma pre-treatment of the polyimide surface and post-metallization annealing were used to modify the interface. Interfaces and metal film layers were investigated; a drastic increase in adhesion strength, the suppression of Cu diffusion into polyimide, and the improvement of (111) texture were found. Composition analysis data taken from the interface indicated the accretion of nitrogen at the interface. The formation of Ti-related chemical bonds, suggested by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, can explain the above-mentioned experimental results.