Better metal bonding: Surface pretreatment

A new treatment method is proposed where excimer lamps are used to emit in the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region to improve adhesion of the metal. It is possible for irradiation in the VUV range to be used for targeted and selective surface treatment. he emitter in an excimer lamp consists of tubes and the intensity profile transverse to the lamps on one plane is inhomogeneous, as the intensity of radiation decreases with distance from the source. The process can be made more efficient by purging the space between the lamps and materials at atmospheric pressure with gases to produce the desired treatment atmosphere. It is necessary to keep control over the atmosphere as different gases absorb in the wavelength emission range of the xenon excimer. One of the advantages is that oxygen atoms can be generated for reactions at the surface.