The Influence of Plasma Treatment and Substrate Bias Voltage on the Bonding Properties of Carbon Fiber/Copper Composites

In this study, we examined the effect of process flow on the bonding properties of carbon fiber/copper composites. The carbon fiber surface was first subjected to hot air oxidation degumming treatment, and then plasma treatment was performed after filling a vacuum environment with Ar. The magnetron sputtering process was used, and the carbon fiber/copper composite was prepared by selecting titanium as the intermediate transition layer and copper as the plating metal. The experimental results indicated that the peeling strength of copper/carbon fiber interface was highest when the plasma was treated for 30 s. As a transition layer, titanium plays a vital role in the peeling strength of copper/carbon fiber, and forming a Ti-C bond improves the peeling strength. In the range of 20-150 V, the peeling strength of carbon fiber/copper increased with the increase of titanium and copper substrate bias voltage. This is because the diffusion and adhesion of titanium and copper atoms fill the pores and improve compactness.