The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the

Michael J Mirtich, Jr

James S Sovey

Bruce A Banks

Robert F Roman

This invention is concerned with providing improved surface texturing for adhesive bonding, metal bonding, substrate plating, decal substrate preparation, and biomedical implant applications. The invention is particularly concerned with epoxy bonding to polymers that typically exhibit low adhesion and bonding metals to a desired thickness to a polymer substrate. The surface 12 to be bonded is first dusted in a controlled fashion to produce a disbursed layer of fine mesh particles 14 which serve as masks. The surface texture is produced by impinging gas ions on the masked surface. The textured surface takes the form of pillars or cones. The bonding material, such as a liquid epoxy, flows between the pillars which results in a bond having increased strength. For bonding metals a thin film of metal is vapor or sputter deposited onto the textured surface. Electroplating or electroless plating is then used to increase the metal thickness to the desired amount.

Surface texturing of fluoropolymers

A source of hydrogen ions is disclosed and includes a chamber having at one end a cathode which provides electrons and through which hydrogen gas flows into the chamber. Screen and accelerator grids are provided at the other end of the chamber. A baffle plate is disposed between the cathode and the grids and a cylindrical baffle is disposed coaxially with the cathode at the one end of the chamber. The cylindrical baffle is of greater diameter than the baffle plate to provide discharge impedance and also to protect the cathode from ion flux. An anode electrode draws the electrons away from the cathode. The hollow cathode includes a tubular insert of tungsten impregnated with a low work function material to provide ample electrons. A heater is provided around the hollow cathode to initiate electron emission from the low work function material.

Hydrogen hollow cathode ion source

An electron bombardment argon ion source is used to treat polyimide and fluorinated ethylene propylene polymers to form textured surfaces thereon. This improves the optical and electrical properties so that these polymers can be used in industrial and space applications.

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N. Olmsted, OH, United States of America

Michael J Mirtich, Jr