Enhancement of electrical properties of polyimide films by plasma treatment

Highlights: ⿢We treated polyimide films under oxygen plasma for 5 min. ⿢Surface characterization using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed an increase in oxygen functional group presence on the polyimide surface post plasma treatment. ⿢Plasma treatment resulted in an increase in the dielectric breakdown and Weibull modulus at room temperature. ⿢Plasma treatment led to a reduction in the high field/high temperature leakage current. In this study, the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on the electrical and surface properties of polyimide, Kapton HN, film is investigated. The plasma treatment led to an increase in the oxygen presence on the polyimide surface and a marked surface hydrophilicity. The plasma treatment led to an increase in the dielectric breakdown and Weibull modulus as well as a remarkable reduction in the scatter of all electrical measurements. There is a significant reduction in the high field/high temperature leakage current after plasma treatment. These findings have important implications in the development and improvement of dielectric polymer capacitors.