Method for treating a polyimide surface to improve the adhesion of metal deposited thereon, and articles produced thereby

A method for improving adhesion of a metallization layer on a polyimide surface which comprises the steps of:

• treatment of the surface with an adhesion-promoting organic double bond-containing compound selected from the group consisting of ##STR5## and salts or hydrates thereof;
• wherein each X is independently oxygen or sulfur;
• R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl groups containing about 1 to about 15 carbon atoms, aromatic groups containing about 6 to about 20 atoms, and alkoxy groups containing about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently selected from the group consisting of R.sup.1, S.sup.- NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.1, NHNH.sub.2 and R.sup.1 CO--;
• R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of R.sup.1, NHR.sup.1, and S.sup.- ;
• R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are each independently hydrogen or an alkyl group containing about 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
• Y is selected from the group consisting of NH, NHNH, --S--S--, alkylene groups containing from 1 to about 10 carbon atoms, and arylene groups containing about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms;
• and
• n is 1 or 2;
• electroless deposition of the metallization layer on the treated surface;
• and heating of the resulting metallized article.