Comparative Analysis of the Surface Functionalization and Texturization of HDPE after H<sub>2</sub> and O<sub>2</sub> Ion Plasma Immersion

Abstract

An in-house constructed Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) facility was used in this study to facilitate the surface chemistry improvement on High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) sheets and allow an increase in adhesion of copper thin films on HDPE sheets. The material’s wet ability and polymer-metal adhesive strength are compared before and after plasma treatment to understand the creation and rearrangement of the functional groups present on the surface of H2 and O2 ion irradiated HDPE sheets. Results showed the detection of O-H, C≡C, C═C and C-O bonds on the surface of the irradiated samples. H2 ion irradiated sheets, however, showed no surface chemical functionality changes.