Engineering Copper Adhesion on Poly-Epoxy Surfaces Allows One-Pot Metallization of Polymer Composite Telecommunication Waveguides

Abstract

Mass gain in the aerospace sector is highly demandable for energy savings and operational efficiency. Replacement of metal parts by polymer composites meets this prerequisite, provided the targeted functional properties are recovered. In the present contribution, we propose two innovative and scalable processes for the metallization of the internal faces of carbon fiber reinforced polymer radiofrequency waveguides foreseen for implementation in telecommunications satellites. They involve sequential direct liquid injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of copper and cobalt. The use of ozone pretreatment of the polymer surface prior deposition, or of cost effective anhydrous dimethoxyethane as solvent for the injection of the copper precursor, yield strongly adherent, 5 µm Cu films on the polymer composite. Their electrical resistivity is in the 4.1–5.0 μΩ·cm range, and they sustain thermal cycling between −175 °C and +170 °C. Such homogeneous and conformal films can be obtained at temperatures as low as 115 °C. Demonstration is achieved on a polymer composite waveguide, composed of metallized 60-mm long straight sections and of E-plane and H-plane elbows, that paves the way towards the metallization of scale one devices.

Engineered Cu-PEN Composites at the Nanoscale: Preparation and Characterisation

“…The advantages of copper-based nanocomposites include the change in wettability and mechanical properties [ 27 , 28 ]. For this reason, nanostructured copper can be used, e.g., in food packaging [ 29 , 30 ], electronic packaging [ 31 , 32 ], telecommunications [ 33 ], solar cells [ 34 ], or some medical treatments and devices [ 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Even complex devices such as pressure-responsive sensors based on copper nanowires combined with graphene oxide can be engineered [ 38 ].…”