PEEK film copper plating professional manufacturer | Advanced Institute Technology six major plating solutions detailed explanation

1、 Company Overview and Technical Positioning

Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., LtdEstablished in 2016, headquartered in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, we are a national high-tech enterprise focusing on shielding materials, insulation materials, thermal conductive materials, and precious metal coatings. The company has its own registered trademark "Research Platinum" and has dual production bases in Shenzhen and Dongguan. It has passedISO9001Quality management system certification, products comply withGJB 773AAerospace related standards andRoHSEnvironmental protection requirements, with the ability to support high-end fields such as aerospace, military, and 5G communication.

In the field of coating technology, the company has independently built magnetron sputtering and vacuum evaporation production lines, usingContinuous production process of roll to rollIt can continuously and uniformly deposit metal layers on the surface of flexible polymer films. Suitable substrates include various flexible materials such as FEP, PI, PET, LCP, PPS, PEN, PP, etc., and can be plated with metals including gold, silver, copper, aluminum, tin, nickel, titanium, platinum, etc. Relying on advanced physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology, the company has achieved nanometer level precise control of metal thin films on the substrate surface, with thickness ranging from a few nanometers to several hundred nanometers, ensuring extremely high uniformity and density.

2、 The core challenge of metalization of PEEK film

PEEK film itself is an excellent insulating material with low surface energy, high crystallinity, and strong chemical inertness, making it difficult for metal coatings to directly adhere. The biological inertness of PEEK is one of its main weaknesses as an implant material - it cannot directly bond with bones and lacks bone integration ability. Therefore, PEEK film must undergoSurface activation treatmentAfterwards, metalization processes such as chemical plating or physical vapor deposition can be carried out.

The surface metallization of PEEK film usually involves three key steps:Surface activation pretreatment, establishment of conductive layer, and deposition of functional layerThe activation methods currently used in the industry mainly include chemical roughening and plasma treatment. Advanced Institute Technology has found in process practice that,Plasma activation combined with low-energy ion beam pretreatmentIt can effectively shorten the induction time of subsequent chemical plating, and has a smaller impact on the mechanical properties of the film itself. This combination scheme has obtained stable binding force data in sample validation.

3、 Core process route: plasma activated magnetron sputtering electroplating

Step 1: Surface activation.Advanced Institute Technology has developed a plasma activation combined with low-energy ion beam pretreatment process to address the core challenges of low surface energy and strong chemical inertness of PEEK. By bombarding the surface of the substrate with plasma, the bonding strength between the substrate and the metal layer is effectively improved.

Step 2: Magnetron sputtering coating.After completing surface activation, the company uses magnetron sputtering technology to deposit transition layers (such as Ti, Al, Cr, etc.) and functional metal layers on the surface of PEEK film. Magnetron sputtering is carried out in a vacuum environment, where high-speed particles bombard the target material, causing metal atoms to break free from the constraints of the target material and deposit uniformly on the surface of the thin film, forming a uniform and dense metal film. Compared with traditional chemical plating methods, PVD technology has advantages such as environmental protection, good coating uniformity, and strong adhesion. It can achieve uniform deposition of metal atoms on the substrate surface under low temperature conditions.

Step 3: Electroplating thickening (optional).For application scenarios that require thicker coatings, the metal layer can be further thickened through electroplating on the basis of magnetron sputtering.

Metal coating passed throughGradient coating designRealize stress transition from the substrate to the metal layer, effectively avoiding interface delamination caused by modulus differences.

4、 Detailed explanation of the six major plating schemes

Advanced Institute Technology provides PEEK filmNickel plating, copper plating, gold plating, silver plating, titanium plating, chrome platingSix major coating schemes, each corresponding to different application scenarios:

5、 Application scenarios

Metal coated PEEK film has been practically applied in multiple high-end fields:

• 5G/6G high-frequency communication:Copper or gold plated PEEK film is used for communication substrates, antennas, and flexible circuits. The low dielectric loss characteristics of PEEK film can significantly reduce the delay and energy loss in high-frequency signal transmission.
• Aerospace:Integrating functional metal patterns on the surface of PEEK skin material can effectively enhance the integration and perception capabilities of smart skin antennas. Nickel plated or copper plated PEEK film is used as an electromagnetic shielding material to replace traditional metal components, achieving lightweight while meeting electromagnetic compatibility requirements.
• Medical devices and brain computer interfaces:PEEK films coated with gold or platinum can be used for cutting-edge biomedical applications such as neural probes and brain computer interfaces. PEEK material, with its electrically neutral properties (non-conductive, non-conductive, biocompatible), has become an ideal carrier for brain computer interface devices.
• Electromagnetic shielding:Copper plated PEEK is suitable for applications that require lightweight, high temperature resistance, surface conductivity, and electromagnetic shielding.

6、 Qualification certification and quality standards

Advanced Institute Technology has passed the following qualification certifications:

• ISO 9001Quality Management System Certification
• GJB 773ACompliant with aerospace related standards
• RoHSEnvironmental certification

National StandardGB/T 43763-2024 "Aerospace functional coatings - Special non-metallic materials - Metal coatings"It has been officially implemented, and it is clearly stipulated that various metal coatings such as nickel gold, nickel silver, copper nickel gold, etc. can be prepared on the surface of special non-metallic materials such as PEEK using electroplating or chemical plating methods. The product solution of Advanced Institute Technology strictly follows the technical requirements of the national standard.

7、 Contact Us

Advanced Institute (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd. is committed to providing reliable PEEK film metallization solutions for high-end fields such as 5G communication, aerospace, and medical equipment.