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Noble Metal PCB Manufacturing for Direct Implants
December 22, 2014 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
The market for active implantable devices requires new strategies in designing and manufacturing the relevant components (e.g., the electronic modules). The request for continuously smaller devices to achieve improved patient comfort with even higher functionalities also requires further miniaturization on PCBs. Combining existing PCB manufacturing technology with technologies from the thin film industries allows integration of new functionalities while reducing the footprint and the number of components.
DYCONEX AG has demonstrated the use of PCBs in in-vivo applications without additional sealing or housing by applying noble metals as conductors on biocompatible PCB materials. For short-term implants the use of gold-plated copper traces has proven good results in several clinical studies. For long-term implants the market requests completely copper-free structures.
These copper-free substrates have been manufactured by combining standard PCB processes with thin film deposition methods as used in the MEMS industry. Using thin film technologies, resolutions within the nanometer range can be achieved by combining the know-how between standard PCB and semiconductor industry. As an example a typical high-density PCB has lines and spaces down to 25 µm for signal paths in compare to an ASIC within a 40 nm range. However, the fabrication size in the semiconductor industry is restricted to 12”, while the PCB world manufactures in 12 x 18” large panel sizes. The substrates were structured using standard PCB surface cleaning, activation, photolithography and chemical wet-etching technologies. For the noble metals (Au and Pt), gas phase deposition methods were applied. The material is heated within a high vacuum chamber up to its boiling point. Clusters of atoms evaporate and deposit on the substrate forming a noble metal layer structure. If necessary, the noble metal thickness can be increased to several micrometers by electroplating according to the desired properties (ohmic resistance or conductivity). The desired feature sizes and fine lines and spaces (<25 μm) were achieved by implementing novel technologies like laser direct imaging and drilling with corresponding step and repeat registration as well as new auxiliary materials for thin films.Read the full article here.Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the November 2014 issue of The PCB Magazine.