Chemical Aspects of Reactive Metal and Energetic Ion Interactions on Polyimide.

X-ray photoemission and in-situ oxygen uptake studies have been performed on polyimide surfaces exposed to controlled ion etching, reactive metallization, or the two acting in concert. Although the ion etching process utilized in the current work was highly destructive in terms of bond fissure and was found to exhibit enhanced selectivity for the removal of carbonyl- attached oxygen moities, the resulting surface was not observed to be reactive to subsequent in situ oxygen uptake. This observation suggests that bond fissure induced by energetic ions does not result in a surface rich in titratable organic radicals, but rather results in species which promote cross-linking or result in the formation of highly unsaturated or graphitic-like residues. Exposure of an unsputtered polyimide surface to Al deposited under UHV conditions results in the reduction of surface carbonyl functional groups. Based on subsequent oxygen titration data, there is little evidence for significant metal- carbon bond formation. Aluminum deposited on a sputtered polyimide surface shows little evidence for charge transfer between the metal and the carbonaceous, graphitic-like surface residue.