Self-Regulated Super-Hydrophobic Cu/CuO Electrode Film Deposited by One-Step High-Power Sputtering

In spite of advances in integrated circuit technology, dust and corrosion continue to play detrimental roles in electronic and device components such as electrodes and wires, causing possible short circuits and arcing, consequently undermining the long-time durability of devices. Super-hydrophobic Cu/CuO films with easy cleaning characteristics and excellent corrosion resistance are prepared by one-step high-power magnetron sputtering and tested under high salinity conditions. Self-regulation of the preferred orientations from Cu (200) to Cu (111) and formation of micro/nano-rod surface features can be tuned by changing the power density. After exposure for 96 h in air, CuO (111), which has a small surface energy, is produced in situ on the surface of the Cu (111) micro/nano-rods. Such a super-hydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 152.5° has attractive properties such as excellent protection against dust particles, easy cleaning, as well as long-term corrosion resistance compared to conventional Cu metallization films. These results reveal that the Cu/CuO micro/nano-rod electrode film has great potential in microelectronics, in particular in metal/ceramic circuit boards requiring high power densities and operated in environments with high salinity.