Analysis of peel strength of consisting of an aluminum sheet, anodic aluminum oxide and a copper foil laminate composite

Laminate composites consisting of an aluminum sheet, anodic aluminum oxide, and copper foil have been used as heat-spreader materials for high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These composites are comparable to the conventional structure comprising an aluminum sheet, epoxy adhesives, and copper foil. The peel strength between the copper foil and anodic aluminum oxide should be more than 1.0 kgf/cm in order to be applied in high-power LED products. We investigated the effect of the anodic aluminum oxide morphology and heat-treatment conditions on the peel strength of the composites. We formed an anodic aluminum oxide layer on a 99.999% pure aluminum sheet using electrochemical anodization. A Ti/Cu seed layer was formed using the sputtering direct bonding copper process in order to form a copper circuit layer on the anodic aluminum oxide layer by electroplating. The developed heat spreader, composed of an aluminum layer, anodic aluminum oxide, and a copper circuit layer, showed peel strengths ranging from 1.05 to 3.45 kgf/cm, which is very suitable for high-power LED applications.