Differences in the Performance of PI Gold Plating Films under Different Gold Plating Processes

Brief introduction

PI (Polyimide) Gold Plated FilmIt has a wide range of applications in various fields such as electronics, aerospace, etc. Different gold plating processes will have different effects on the performance of PI gold plating films. This article will focus on comparing the differences in the performance of PI gold plating films between two common gold plating processes, magnetron sputtering and electroplating, and refer to themAdvanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., LtdAnalyze relevant research data.

（1） The importance of PI gold plating film

PI materials have excellent characteristics such as high temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties. Gold plating on their surface can further improve their conductivity, corrosion resistance, and other properties, thereby meeting more complex engineering requirements.

（2） Research objective

By comparing the application of magnetron sputtering and electroplating processes on PI gold plating films, the impact of each on film performance is clarified, providing reference for selecting suitable gold plating processes in related fields.

2、 Magnetron sputtering process

（1） Process principle

Magnetron sputtering is a type of physical vapor deposition (PVD). It is achieved in specialized vacuum equipment by introducing a magnetic field on the surface of the target cathode and using the magnetic field to constrain charged particles to increase plasma density and sputtering rate. When magnetron sputtering gold plating on PI, the PI film is sent into a vacuum chamber equipped with a magnetron cathode and sputtering gas (such as argon gas). Negative voltage is applied to the cathode, and glow discharge is carried out in the vacuum chamber to generate plasma. The gas ions in the plasma are accelerated and bombard the gold target material, causing gold atoms to deposit on the surface of PI to formGold-plated film.

（2） The influence on the performance of PI gold plating film

1. adhesion
   • According to experimental data from Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., the PI gold plating film prepared by magnetron sputtering process has strong adhesion. In the tape peeling test, after 10 peeling cycles, the detachment area of the gold plating film is less than 10%. This is because during magnetron sputtering, gold atoms deposit on the surface of PI with high energy, which can penetrate into the microstructure of PI material and form good chemical bonds.
2. Uniformity of film thickness
   • Experiments have shown that magnetron sputtering technology can achieve good film thickness uniformity. Performing experiments on a 10cm × 10cm PI filmMagnetron sputtering gold platingAt this time, the deviation of film thickness is within ± 0.1 μ m. This is because during magnetron sputtering, the plasma distribution is relatively uniform due to the constraint of the magnetic field, resulting in a more uniform deposition of gold atoms on the PI surface.
3. Conductivity
   • Tests have found that the conductivity of magnetron sputtered gold film is good. Its block resistance can reach below 0.1 Ω/□. This is because magnetron sputtering can be performed at lower temperatures, which can avoid the degradation of PI material performance at high temperatures, and the deposition method of gold atoms is conducive to the formation of continuous conductive channels.

3、 Electroplating process

（1） Process principle

Electroplating is an electrochemical process. existElectroplating PI gold plating filmFirstly, the surface of PI should be cleaned, and then a bottom layer should be plated (such as using nickel or copper as the anode and the object to be plated with PI as the cathode, dissolving the anode through the current in the electrolyte to form a bottom layer on the surface of PI to enhance the adhesion and flatness of the gold plating layer). Then, metal gold should be used as the anode and PI as the cathode, dissolving the gold from the anode through the current in the electrolyte and plating it on PI to form a gold plating layer.

（2） The influence on the performance of PI gold plating film

1. adhesion
   • Research by Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. shows that the adhesion of PI gold plating film prepared by electroplating process is relatively weak. In the same tape peeling test, after 10 peeling cycles, the detachment area of the gold plating film is about 20% -30%. This may be due to the fact that during the electroplating process, the deposition of gold atoms mainly relies on electrochemical reactions, and the bonding method with the PI surface is relatively simple, which is not as strong as the physical bonding method of magnetron sputtering.
2. Uniformity of film thickness
   • The film thickness uniformity of electroplating process on PI film is poor. For PI films of the same size (10cm × 10cm), the thickness deviation of electroplated gold film is around ± 0.3 μ m. This is because during the electroplating process, the current distribution is easily affected by factors such as the shape of the PI film and the position of the electrode, resulting in uneven deposition of gold atoms on the PI surface.
3. Conductivity
   • The conductivity of electroplated gold film is slightly inferior toMagnetron Sputtering Gold CoatingThe block resistance is about 0.2-0.3 Ω/□. This is because during the electroplating process, some impurities may be generated or the deposition structure of gold atoms may not be compact enough, which affects the conduction of electrons.

4、 Process comparison

5、 Conclusion

By comparing the performance of PI gold plating film using magnetron sputtering and electroplating processes, it can be seen that magnetron sputtering process generally performs better than electroplating process in terms of adhesion, film thickness uniformity, and conductivity. However, the electroplating process also has its own advantages, such as relatively low equipment costs. In practical applications, the appropriate gold plating process should be selected based on specific needs, such as emphasis on membrane performance, cost, and other factors. Meanwhile, the relevant research data from Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. provides important reference for us to deeply understand the impact of these two processes on the performance of PI gold plating films. Further in-depth research is needed in the future to optimize the application of these two processes in the preparation of PI gold plating films.

The above data is for reference only, and specific performance may vary due to production processes and product specifications.