Abstract
The electrodeposition coating process, which is a polymer film deposition method using water electrolysis, is widely used for automobile body primers. Recently this process is being used in the insulating polymer films deposition for the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) or micro electric components. However, this process has difficulty in depositing polymer film on complex shapes and non-conductive surfaces. In this paper, we demonstrate that epoxy resin thin films used extensively as insulating polymer films were successfully deposited using the electroless chemical reaction in aqueous solution on a non-conductive surface and high aspect glass tube. The substrates catalyzed using a commercialized three-step Sn/Ag/Pd activation process were immersed in the reaction solution containing water-soluble resin and NO3- ion, reducing agent (DMAB). The pH near the substrate rose when NO3- was reduced by released electrons from DMAB. Water-soluble resin combined with OH-; hence, polymer thin film was deposited by the electroless deposition reaction. By FE-SEM and FT-IR measurement, it was clear that the conformal and dense epoxy resin films were deposited. Using the present method, epoxy films could be deposited on the surface of a high aspect ratio glass tube 50 mm in length and φ3 in inner diameter. These films had high insulation resistivity of 108∼1011Ωm with applied voltage of 250 V.
