Pre-bonding technology based on excimer laser surface treatment

The application of ArF excimer laser for surface pre-treatment of polycarbonate, polyetherimide, polyaryl ether–ether– ketone PEEK.composite, fiberglass, aluminum, copper and fused silica was investigated. Various substrates were tested with excimer laser irradiation using various parameters, such as: intensity, repetition rate, and number of pulses. The optimal laser treatment parameters were found for each material needed for achieving maximum adhesional strength of the corresponding bonded joints. Experimental results indicated that UV laser surface treatment improved significantly the adhesion strength compared to conventional treated substrates for all the materials tested. The improved adhesion was correlated with the roughening of the irradiated surface, chemical modification and removal of contamination. q2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved