Comparison of vacuum ultraviolet irradiation and oxygen plasma treatment as pretreatment for copper seed layer on cycloolefin polymer

This study explores the factors governing the peel strength characteristics between a cycloolefin polymer (COP) film and a copper plating layer with a copper seed layer, for applying to antenna circuits in 6 G communications. The peel strength depended on the surface modification methods as pretreatment for copper seed layer formation: vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) irradiation and oxygen plasma treatment. VUV irradiation induced a modified layer with brittleness on the COP surface, leading to substrate failure. Conversely, oxygen plasma treatment formed a quite thin modified layer and facilitated Cu2O formation by bonding functional groups on the topmost COP surface with copper in the seed layer at the interface between the COP film and the copper plating layer, resulting in interface failure rather than substrate failure. Therefore, enhancing peel strength involves preventing the formation of a modified layer on the surface and generating a significant quantity of functional groups on the topmost surface.