Arc plasma deposition of Pd seeding for Cu electroless deposition

Arc plasma deposition (APD) has been used for surface treatment of glass and polyimide (PI) substrates for Cu electroless deposition (ELD). The thickness of Cu ELD films increased linearly with time up to 2,000 nm on glass and 3,400 nm on PI substrates. Resistivity of Cu ELD films on glass (1.4-3.4 μΩ cm) and on PI (4.1-5.8 μΩ cm) was lower than that reported for conventional ELD processes (5-10 μΩ cm). The adhesion strength of Cu ELD films produced by our process was as good as, or better than, that for conventional Cu ELD films. APD is an effective, simple, and dry method for deposition of the seed layer for ELD on the surfaces of insulating materials.