With modern microtechnology, there is an aggressive miniaturization of smart devices, despite an increasing level of integration and overall complexity. It is therefore becoming increasingly important to be achieve reliable, compact packaging.
For implantable medical devices (IMDs), the package must additionally provide a high quality hermetic environment to protect the device from the human body. For chip-scale devices, AuSn eutectic bonding offers the possibility of forming compact seals that achieve ultra-low permeability.
A key feature is this can be achieved at process temperatures of below 350315°C, therefore allowing for the integration of sensors and microsystems with CMOS electronics within a single package. Issues however such as solder wetting, void formation and controlling composition make formation of high-quality repeatable seals highly challenging.