Irregular Failures at Metal/polymer Interfaces

Roughening of metal surfaces frequently enhances the adhesion strength of metals to polymers by mechanical interlocking. When a failure occurs at a roughened metal/polymer interface, the failure prone to be cohesive. In a previous work, an adhesion study on a roughened metal (oxidized copper-based leadframe)/polymer (Epoxy Molding Compound, EMC) interface was carried out, and the correlation between adhesion strength and failure path was investigated. In the present work, an attempt to interpret the failure path was made under the assumption that microvoids are formed in the EMC as well as near the roots of the CuO needles during compression-molding process. A simple adhesion model developed from the theory of fiber reinforcement of composite materials was introduced to explain the adhesion behavior of the oxidized copper-based leadframe/EMC interface and failure path. It is believed that this adhesion model can be used to explain the adhesion behavior of other similarly roughened metal/polymer interfaces.