PEN film metallization: a multi domain application solution for high-performance flexible substrates

1、 PEN film: the cornerstone of high-performance flexible substrates

Polyethylene terephthalate (PEN) film is a high-performance engineering plastic substrate, and the naphthalene ring structure in its molecular chain endows the material with excellent comprehensive properties. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of PEN film can reach around 120 ℃, and biaxial oriented PEN film does not show significant shrinkage until it approaches 190 ℃. Long term use temperature can reach 155 ℃ or above. In terms of barrier performance, PEN has a barrier to oxygen that is 4 times higher than PET, a barrier to carbon dioxide that is 5 times higher, and a barrier to water vapor that is 3.5 times higher. PEN film itself does not have reactive activity, but various metals or metal oxides can be deposited on its surface through physical vapor deposition (PVD) processes such as vacuum evaporation and magnetron sputtering, thereby achieving functional expansion such as conductivity, electromagnetic shielding, and high reflection.

2、 Vacuum evaporated aluminum (Al) coating: a mature solution for high barrier and high reflection

Aluminum is the most widely used coating metal in PEN film metallization. By vacuum evaporation process, high-purity aluminum is heated to about 1200 ℃ and vaporized in a high vacuum environment, and then deposited on the surface of PEN film to form a uniform and dense aluminum coating. This coating can reduce the oxygen and water vapor permeability of the film by over 99%, and the reflectivity can reach over 90%. Based on the composite structure design of "high barrier PEN substrate high reflective aluminum coating", aluminum coated PEN film has been widely used in high barrier packaging of food and medicine, heat reflective film, and solar backsheet.

3、 Magnetron Sputtering Silver (Ag) Coating: High Conductivity and Electromagnetic Shielding Functional Layer

The silver coating endows PEN film with excellent conductivity and electromagnetic shielding properties. Advanced Institute Technology PEN magnetron sputtering silver film adopts physical vapor deposition method. By applying a magnetic field to activate the silver target in a vacuum chamber, silver ions are sputtered onto the surface of PEN substrate to form a uniform silver layer. Silver plating has excellent conductivity, making PEN silver plated film suitable for use as a conductive film, touch screen electrode, and other applications in the field of electronics and electrical appliances; Silver plating has a significant shielding effect on electromagnetic waves and can effectively prevent electromagnetic interference. Silver layer has good reflectivity and can be used for reflection and optical path control in optical devices. By optimizing process parameters such as vacuum degree, deposition rate, and temperature, the thickness of the silver layer can be controlled at the nanometer level. The PEN substrate itself has excellent heat resistance, ensuring the stability of the silver plated film under high temperature conditions. The main application directions include high conductivity flexible circuits, transparent electrodes, electromagnetic shielding films, optical reflective devices, etc.

4、 Magnetron Sputtering Copper (Cu) Coating: The Core Conductive Material for Flexible Printed Circuits

Copper coating is deposited on the surface of PEN film by magnetron sputtering process, mainly used for conductive lines of flexible printed circuits (FPC). Advanced Institute Technology adopts precision technology to uniformly and densely coat a layer of copper on the surface of PEN substrate. The high conductivity of copper makes it the preferred material for FPC circuits. The PEN copper plated film combines the thermal stability and dimensional stability of PEN with the high conductivity of copper, demonstrating unique advantages in the field of flexible circuit boards. It can achieve bending and folding of complex shapes while ensuring efficient signal transmission. Advanced Institute Technology provides various thickness specifications of copper plated films, ranging from 6 μ m to 150 μ m, which can be customized according to customer needs to meet special requirements in different application scenarios. Due to the easy oxidation of copper in air, copper plated PEN film needs to be passivated or covered with a protective layer to prevent oxidation failure. The high heat resistance and dimensional stability of PEN substrate ensure reliable electrical connection of copper lines in high-temperature processing and repeated bending scenarios.

5、 Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni): Adhesion Promoting Layer and Independent Functional Coating

Chromium and nickel play multiple roles in the PEN metallization system. When conductive metals such as silver and copper are directly bonded to PEN substrates, their long-term reliability is often affected due to insufficient interfacial bonding strength. Chromium or nickel is used as an adhesion promoting layer or diffusion blocking layer to intervene and form a multi-layer film structure, effectively suppressing the migration of metal atoms and enhancing the bonding strength of the film layer.

PEN nickel plated film is a star product carefully crafted by advanced technology, cleverly integrating three core advantages of high transparency, excellent corrosion resistance, and conductivity. In the field of display screens, Advanced Institute Technology's PEN nickel plated film ensures that the display screen can meet the requirements of high resolution and high color reproduction due to its excellent light transmission performance. The excellent corrosion resistance of PEN nickel plating film enables it to effectively resist the erosion of corrosive substances such as acid, alkali, salt, etc. in the field of medical devices. The conductivity is the key advantage of PEN nickel plating film in the field of flexible electronics, which can easily achieve bending, folding and other operations, providing more possibilities for the design of flexible electronic products. Advanced Institute Technology supports customized PEN nickel plating film as needed, and can adjust material thickness, conductivity, and other parameters according to specific customer needs.

6、 Indium tin oxide (ITO) and metal oxides: key materials for transparent conductivity and high barrier packaging

Indium tin oxide (ITO) can be deposited on the surface of PEN by magnetron sputtering to prepare a transparent conductive film with both high transparency and excellent conductivity. The glass transition temperature of PEN (about 120 ℃) is significantly higher than that of PET (about 75-80 ℃), allowing it to better withstand the process temperature during ITO sputtering without deformation. Under optimized process conditions, the transmittance of ITO-PEN conductive film can reach over 80%, and the square resistance can be less than 15 Ω/sq, making it suitable for high-end optoelectronic devices such as flexible displays and touch sensors. In addition, metal oxides such as SiO ₓ and Al ₂ O3, although not metal coatings, are often co deposited with metal coatings or used as composite barrier layers (such as Al ₂ O3/PEN structures) for OLED packaging and other scenarios that require extremely high water and oxygen barrier properties.

7、 Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd.: A professional manufacturer of PEN film metallization

Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., LtdEstablished in 2016, located in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, we are a high-tech enterprise specializing in shielding materials, insulation materials, thermal conductive materials, and precious metal coatings. The company owns the independently registered trademark "Yanbo" and has production bases in Shenzhen and Dongguan, as well as business liaison points in multiple parts of the country. The company's R&D team has independent research and development capabilities in the fields of flexible substrate coating, electronic paste, electromagnetic shielding materials, etc. The company has passed ISO9001 quality management system certification, and its products comply with GJB 773A military standards and RoHS environmental requirements. It has the ability to support high-end fields such as aerospace, military, and 5G communication.

The company has independently built a magnetron sputtering and vacuum evaporation production line, which can continuously deposit metal layers on the surface of flexible polymer films. The process features include uniform coating, strong adhesion, support for roll to roll continuous production, and are suitable for large-scale supply. Applicable substrates include FEP, PI, PET, LCP, PPS, PEN, PP, etc; Plateable metals include gold, silver, copper, aluminum, tin, nickel, titanium, platinum, etc. The company provides comprehensive solutions from material selection, structural design to bulk supply, covering conductive fabric foam, absorbing materials, thermal insulation materials, etc.Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., LtdContinuously cultivating PEN thin film metallization technology to provide reliable material solutions for flexible electronics, electromagnetic shielding, 5G communication, and high-end manufacturing.