H2O Vapor Plasma for Bonding PDMS with Various Materials

This paper reports a method for covalently bonding various materials. The bonding between PDMS and Parylene C, aluminum (Al), or cycloolefin polymer (COP) were investigated as an example. These materials are often used in microchips, for it has good electrical or visual characteristics. The bonding is induced by generating H
2
O vapor plasma using RF discharge. This mechanism was further investigated by observing functional groups on the surface of the material and measuring the bonding strength. This technique enables expansion of the material options in MEMS device development.