摘要 |
The invention is a method for the vapor deposition of a thin metal film onto a polymeric surface. The method comprises the steps of placing the polymeric surface within a vacuum chamber, and evacuating the chamber to a near-perfect vacuum. The chamber is next filled with argon gas. Sufficient voltage and amperage are applied to the argon gas within the chamber to electrically excite that gas, thereby creating a cloud of free argon electrons which prepare or impart a charge to the polymeric surface. The argon is then evacuated from the chamber, and the chamber is then placed at a suitable plating vacuum. The improvement in the present invention comprises the use of a metal yarn comprised of thin strands of that metal. A conventional electrode, such as a tungsten electrode, disposed within the chamber and wrapped with this yarn is energized sufficiently to rapidly vaporize the metal. The rapidly vaporized metal is transported towards and then coated onto the prepared, charged polymeric surface.
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