Stage-Wise Curing for Improving the Bonding Strength of Imaging Coupling Devices

In extreme scenarios such as nuclear explosions and high-energy radiation detection in space, UV-cured adhesives are usually used as coupling media to bind tapered optic fiber arrays with intensified charge-coupled devices or complementary metal-oxide semiconductors and a tapered optic fiber array for effective optical signal transmission. To address the issue of weak bonding strength caused by the small binding area between charge-coupled devices or complementary metal-oxide semiconductors and TOFA, a stage-wise curing process was investigated and proved to be efficient through comparison with the single curing process. The effect of interval time between the initial and final curing on coupling strength was characterized by tensile strength, shear strength and shock acceleration testing, and the samples were exposed to high and low temperatures for evaluation of their environmental adaptability. The curing mechanism was analyzed by surface morphology of the adhesive layer after decoupling and an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy elemental analysis of interface layer. The results show that when the interval time is extended from 5 min to 60 min, the shock acceleration of the coupling device decreases by 26.1%, while the tensile and shear strengths also decrease by 49.4% and 60.7%, respectively. The decline in coupling strength is attributed to oxygen inhibition during interval time. The exposure of the adhesive surface to the air allows oxygen to diffuse into and react with active the free radicals that remain from the initial curing, which inhibits further polymerization and generates a thin, incompletely cured weak boundary layer. These findings provide insights for optimizing stage-wise curing processes and improving the reliability of coupled imaging devices.