Development of New Anti-sticking Coatings for Plastic Molding Applications Using Novel Coating Technology

Plastic molds require wear resistance. corrosion resistance. high-temperature resistance. and anti-sticking properties. For instance. in semiconductor IC encapsulation. the mold release capability and performance are associated with the surface free energy between the molds and packaging materials (e.g., epoxy molding compound). The serious sticking problem can cause the packaging process to fail, and consequently reduce the productivity and reliability. The present research project aims to develop novel surface coatings by physical vapor deposition as a Cr replacement because of their advanced mechanical, tribological, chemical and anti-sticking characteristics. In particular. the study of surface chemistry (e.g., anti-sticking performance) of these coatings is of vital importance. and the mold release capability becomes the top-priority in coating selection and optimization. The surface free energy of these coatings will be calculated. and the release capability of the coatings will be evaluated by measuring the tensile force required to separate the polymers molded on the surfaces. Based on the experiments. the effects of surface composition. structure. surface energy and roughness on the adhesion of polymers to the coated surfaces will be analyzed. In summary. the development of advanced anti-sticking coatings will result in a new approach to improve the performance for plastic molding applications.