Metallization Technology of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic Surfaces Through Magnetron Sputtering of Cu Films

ABSTRACT To enhance the conductivity and adhesion of the surface of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), a plasma‐based pretreatment is conducted on the surface, followed by the deposition of a Cu film through magnetron sputtering. The film undergoes XRD, SEM, TEM, and four‐point probe analysis. The results reveal that as the negative bias voltage of the substrate increases from 0 to −150 V, the surface morphology of the film becomes denser and smoother, forming nano‐twin structures. Simultaneously, the film resistivity decreases from 4.4 × 10 −8  Ω·m to 2.3 × 10 −8  Ω·m. Increasing the negative bias voltage is equivalent to increasing the energy in the subsurface layer of the thin film, which promotes the formation of nanotwins within the grains. This results in a more dense structure of the thin film, favorable for reducing its resistivity and thus enhancing the conductivity of the CFRP's surface.