The properties of thin surface layers of polymer substrates should be investigated and controlled for their application in electroless deposition. In this paper, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates were modified by plasma treatment, ultraviolet (UV)/ozone treatment, or UV (254 nm) irradiation. The chemical and physical properties of the modified layer were studied by measuring contact angle and zeta potential, field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) imaging, and infrared spectroscopy. The condition of the surface modification affected oxygenation of the polymer chains. The oxygenation formed hydrophilic surface functional groups and relatively polar low-molecular-weight fragments resulting from the scission of the polymer chains. The surface functional groups and the fragments governed the properties of the modified layer. Adhesive metal films were electrolessly deposited on the thinner modified layer having the hydrophilic functional groups. In contrast, the thicker modified layer containing the fragments decreased the adhesion of the metal films. For example, UV/ozone treatment of the PEN substrate formed the thicker modified layer, on which no adhesive metal films were deposited. These findings illustrate that optimizing the condition of the surface modification thoroughly is feasible to form the modified layer having the chemical and physical properties appropriate for depositing adhesive metal films.

应研究和控制聚合物基材薄表面层的性能，以使其在无电沉积中应用。本文通过等离子体处理、紫外线（UV）/臭氧处理或紫外线（254 nm）照射对聚萘二甲酸乙二醇酯（PEN）和聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET）基材进行改性。通过测量接触角和zeta电位、场发射扫描电子显微镜（FE-SEM）成像和红外光谱研究了改性层的化学和物理性质。表面改性的条件影响聚合物链的氧化。氧化形成亲水性表面官能团和由聚合物链断裂产生的相对极性的低分子量片段。表面官能团和片段决定了改性层的性能。将粘性金属膜无电沉积在具有亲水官能团的较薄改性层上。相反，含有碎片的较厚的改性层降低了金属膜的粘附力。例如，PEN基材的UV/臭氧处理形成较厚的改性层，其上没有沉积粘性金属膜。这些发现表明，彻底优化表面改性的条件对于形成具有适合沉积粘合金属膜的化学和物理性质的改性层是可行的。