US4886681A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Metal-polymer adhesion by low energy bombardment
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1988-12-06
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Granted: 1989-12-12
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Expires: 2008-12-06
Abstract
Abstract A technique is described for improving metal-organic substrate adhesion and for reducing stress between the metal film and the substrate. Low energy reactive ions, electrons, or photons are incident upon the substrate to alter the surface chemistry of the substrate to a depth of from about 10 angstroms to a few hundred angstroms. The energy of the incident reactive ions and electrons is about 50-2000 eV, while the energy of the incident photons is about 0.2-500 eV. Irradiation of the substrate can occur prior to or during metal deposition. For simultaneous metal deposition/particle irradiation, the arrival rates of the metal atoms and the substrate treatment particles are within a few order of magnitude of one another. Room temperatures or elevated temperatures are suitable.
Inventors
- 👤 Joachim G. Clabes
- 👤 Peter O. Hahn
- 👤 Paul S. Ho
- 👤 Haralambos Lefakis
- 👤 Gary W. Rubloff
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 09:04
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C14/00; C23C14/06; C23C14/14; C23C14/20; C23C14/02; C23C14/021; C23C14/022; C23C14/22; H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/38; H05K3/381; H05K3/388
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for improving metal adhesion to an organic substrate, including the steps of: irradiating a surface of said substrate with low energy particles, said particles being selected from the group consisting of reactive ions, electrons and photons, wherein said reactive ions and electrons have energies in the range of about 50-2000 eV and said photons have energies in the range of about 0.2-500 eV, said particles being incident on said surface with a particle flux of about 10 15 -10 17 particles/cm 2 -sec.; depositing a metal film onto said substrate simultaneously with said irradiation by low energy particles, said metal film being deposited from the vapor phase at an initial rate of deposition of approximately 1-100 angstroms per second, and continuing said metal deposition until the desired thickness of metal is obtained on said substrate.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
137 words
A method for improving metal adhesion to an organic substrate, including the steps of: irradiating a surface of said substrate with low energy particles, said particles being selected from the group consisting of reactive ions, electrons and photons, wherein said reactive ions and electrons have energies in the range of about 50-2000 eV and said photons have energies in the range of about 0.2-500 eV, said particles being incident on said surface with a particle flux of about 10 15 -10 17 particles/cm 2 -sec.; depositing a metal film onto said substrate simultaneously with said irradiation by low energy particles, said metal film being deposited from the vapor phase at an initial rate of deposition of approximately 1-100 angstroms per second, and continuing said metal deposition until the desired thickness of metal is obtained on said substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, where said metal is deposited by evaporation or sputtering.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, where said metal is deposited at room temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, where said metal is deposited at a temperature greater than room temperature but less than the curing temperature of said substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1, where said substrate is a polymer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5, where said substrate is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, polyesters, Mylar, Teflon, plastics, and epoxies.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 5, where said substrate is polyimide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, where the rates of arrival at said substrate surface of said low energy particles and atoms of said metal are comparable to one another within approximately two orders of magnitude.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1, where said metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Cu, Ti, Al, Cr, Mo, W, Rh, Pt, and Pd.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for enhancing the adhesion of copper to polymers comprising the steps of: irradiating a polymer with a beam of low energy particles having a particle flux less than about 10 17 particles/cm 2 sec. selected from the group consisting of reactive ions, electrons and photons, said reactive ions and electrons having energies in the range of about 50-2000 eV, said photons having energies in the range of about 0.2-500 eV , depositing copper from the vapor phase onto said irradiated surface of said polymer at a rate which is sufficiently slow to enhance adhesion of copper atoms to said polymer to a depth of up to approximately a few hundred angstroms into said polymer, said rate of deposition of copper initially being approximately 1-100 angstroms per second, said copper depositing step and said irradiating step occurring simultaneously at least until a continuous copper film is formed on said polymer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
151 words
A method for enhancing the adhesion of copper to polymers comprising the steps of: irradiating a polymer with a beam of low energy particles having a particle flux less than about 10 17 particles/cm 2 sec. selected from the group consisting of reactive ions, electrons and photons, said reactive ions and electrons having energies in the range of about 50-2000 eV, said photons having energies in the range of about 0.2-500 eV , depositing copper from the vapor phase onto said irradiated surface of said polymer at a rate which is sufficiently slow to enhance adhesion of copper atoms to said polymer to a depth of up to approximately a few hundred angstroms into said polymer, said rate of deposition of copper initially being approximately 1-100 angstroms per second, said copper depositing step and said irradiating step occurring simultaneously at least until a continuous copper film is formed on said polymer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 10, where the rates of arrival at said substrate of said copper and said particles are comparable to one another within approximately two orders of magnitude.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 11, where the temperature of said polymer surface is less than about 360° C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 11, where said reactive ions are selected from the group consisting of oxygen and nitrogen.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 10, where the temperature of said polymer is less than about 60% of its glass transition temperature during said simultaneous copper deposition and particle irradiation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 10, where said polymer is polymide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-12-11 | 1993-06-12 | 1993-12-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-12-11 | 1997-06-12 | 1997-12-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-12-11 | 2001-06-12 | 2001-12-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |