In microelectronics packaging, the reliability of the metal/polymer interfaces is an important issue because the adhesion strength between dissimilar materials is often inherently poor. The modification of polymer surfaces by ion beam irradiation and rf plasma is commonly used to enhance the adhesion strength of the interface. T-peel strengths were measured using a Cu/polyimide system under varying $N_2^+$ ion beam irradiation conditions for pretreatment. The measured T-peel strength showed reversed camel back shape regarding the fixed metal-layer thickness, which was quite different from the results of the 90° peel test. The elementary analysis suggests that the variation of the T-peel strength is a combined outcome of the plastic bending work of the metal and polymer strips. The results indicate that the peel strength increases with $N_2^+$ ion beam irradiation energy at the fixed metal-layer thickness.