Biocompatible bonding method and electronics package suitable for implantation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532451-B2
Application number	US-201614987574-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2002
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package, that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, such as for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a studbump connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An implantable electronic device comprising:
a hermetic electronics control unit including a bond pad,
a first thin film flexible electrically insulating substrate;
an electrically conducting metal layer deposited on the first insulating layer;
a second thin film flexible electrically insulating substrate deposited on the electrically conducting metal layer;
at least one of the first flexible electrically insulating substrate or the second flexible electrically insulating substrate defining a hole that expose the electrically conducting metal layer forming a contact; and
an electrically conductive studbump for bonding the bond pad to the contact.

2. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stud bump is comprised of platinum or a platinum alloy.

3. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the stud bump is comprised of gold or a gold alloy.

4. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising under fill surrounding the studbump.

5. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising plating to thicken the bond pad.

6. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising plating to thicken the contact.

7. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the each half of the studbump is flattened by coining.

8. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the studbump is bonded by ultrasonic energy.

9. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the studbump is bonded by diffusion.

10. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the studbump is bonded by thermosonic bonding.

11. The implantable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the studbump is bonded by thermocompression bonding.

Assignees

• Second Sight Medical Products Inc

Inventors

• Greenberg Robert
• Talbot Neil
• Ok Jerry
• Neysmith Jordan
• Zhou David

Classifications

• A61N1/375

  Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings · CPC title

• H05K2203/107

  Using laser light · CPC title

• H05K1/115

  Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K3/328

  by welding · CPC title

• H05K1/189

  characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits · CPC title