Effect of Surface Activated Bonding on Adhesion Strength Between Al and Al2O3

The influence of surface activated bonding (SAB) on the adhesion strength between Aluminum metal foil and Al2O3 ceramic sheet is investigated. A series of Al/Al2O3 laminates were successfully prepared using SAB. After plasma pre-treatments with increasing power and higher vacuum, the surface roughness and contact angle of Al and Al2O3 are significantly decreased, resulting in a large contact area between Al and Al2O3. The adhesion strength between Al and Al2O3 after plasma pre-treatment is dependent on the bonding pressure during SAB. A higher adhesion strength may also be related to the enlarged contact area between the highly activated surfaces of Al and Al2O3. It was concluded that the conditions used during the plasma pre-treatment and the bonding pressure selected during SAB are important factors in determining the adhesion strength between Al and Al2O3.