Depositing bulk or micro-scale electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017013713-A1
Application number	US-201615274363-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Thicker electrodes are provided on microelectronic device using thermo-compression bonding. A thin-film electrical conducting layer forms electrical conduits and bulk depositing provides an electrode layer on the thin-film electrical conducting layer. An insulating polymer layer encapsulates the electrically thin-film electrical conducting layer and the electrode layer. Some of the insulating layer is removed to expose the electrode layer.

First claim

1 . A method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials, comprising the steps of:
depositing an electrically insulating polymer layer on a substrate, depositing a thin-film electrical conducting layer to form electrical conduits connecting, bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer, depositing an encapsulating electrically insulating polymer layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer and said electrode layer, removing some of said insulating layer covering said electrode layer, and releasing the electrode materials from said substrate.

2 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing a metal electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer.

3 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing a conducting polymer electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer.

4 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer is accomplished using a combination of pressure, elevated temperature and ultrasonic energy to bond said electrode layer to said thin-film electrical conducting layer.

5 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer is accomplished using a flip-chip bonder, die bonder, or diffusion bonder.

6 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer wherein said electrode layer has a thickness within the range of 1 to 50 micrometers.

7 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing platinum, iridium, titanium, doped diamond, tantalum, or niobium, or an alloy of platinum, iridium, titanium, doped diamond, tantalum, or niobium.

8 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer cut out of a metal foil using mechanical, laser, or chemical etching process.

9 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer using electroplating or electrodeposition or physical vapor deposition.

10 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer using direct ink writing.

11 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer using direct ink writing with conductive ink having small particles of electrode metal in a solvent.

12 . The method of fabricating or depositing electrode materials of claim 1 wherein said step of bulk depositing an electrode layer on said thin-film electrical conducting layer comprises bulk depositing an electrode layer using conductive ink coated on said thin-film electrical conducting layer wherein said conductive ink is raised to a temperature below the melting temperature of said thin-film electrical conducting layer.

13 . A microelectrode device, comprising:
a device body having an underlying electrically insulating layer, a conductive thin-film layer on said underlying electrically insulating layer, at least one electrode embedded in said electrically insulating layer wherein said at least one electrode is a bulk deposited electrode, and at least one electrically conducting lead coupled to said at least one electrode.

14 . The microelectrode device of claim 13 wherein said bulk deposited electrode is a bulk deposited metal electrode.

15 . The microelectrode device of claim 13 wherein said bulk deposited electrode is a bulk deposited conducting polymer electrode.

16 . The microelectrode device of claim 13 wherein said bulk deposited electrode has a thickness within the range of 1 to 50 micrometers.

17 . The microelectrode device of claim 13 wherein said bulk deposited electrode is a platinum, iridium, titanium, doped diamond, tantalum, or niobium, or an alloy of platinum, iridium, titanium, doped diamond, tantalum, or niobium electrode.

18 . The microelectrode device of claim 13 wherein said bulk deposited electrode is a an electrode made of conductive ink having small particles of electrode metal in a solvent.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Shah Kedar G
• Pannu Satinderpall S
• Tolosa Vanessa
• Tooker Angela C
• Sheth Heeral J
• Felix Sarah H
• Delima Terri L

Classifications

• H05K1/097

  Inks comprising nanoparticles and specially adapted for being sintered at low temperature (H05K1/095 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/09

  Use of materials for the {conductive, e.g. } metallic pattern · CPC title

• H05K3/28

  Applying non-metallic protective coatings {(H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673)} · CPC title

• H05K3/12

  using {thick film techniques, e.g.} printing techniques to apply the conductive material {or similar techniques for applying conductive paste or ink patterns} · CPC title

• H05K2201/099

  Coating over pads, e.g. solder resist partly over pads · CPC title