Many implantable medical devices contain sophisticated electronic circuits. Hermetic packaging is required to provide the implant’s electronic circuitry
with protection from the harsh environment of the human body. This chapter provides a review of available hermetic sealing methods and their applications.
General considerations of implantable medical device packaging are discussed. Various testing methods applicable to the packaging of implantable medical devices are also presented. Many issues associated with hermetic packaging are not yet completely understood, nor are any corresponding difficulties completely overcome. The continued miniaturization of future implantable medical devices provides both opportunities and challenges for packaging/materials engineers to improve the existing packaging methods, and to develop new methods. Reliable hermetic micro packaging technologies are the key to a wide utilization of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in miniaturized implantable medical devices.

Implantable medical devices have been widely used to restore body functions, improve the quality of life, or save lives. Experts estimate that 8 to 10 percent of all Americans (some 20 million to 25 million people), or about 1 in 17 people in industrialized countries, carry some form of implanted device. Many medical devices, such as the implantable cardiac defibrillator, cochlear implant, artificial vision prosthesis, neuromuscular microstimulator, and the like contain sophisticated electronic circuits. Such long-term implantable medical devices are susceptible to damage by body fluids over time. Hermetic packaging is required to protect the
electronic circuitry of the implant from the harsh environment of the human body.

Read more: Technology Advances and Challenges in Hermetic Packaging for Implantable Medical Devices

The hermetic packaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.95% during the forecast period to reach US$5.420 billion by 2027, from US$3.864 billion in 2020.

An increase in demand from the automotive, electronics, and aerospace industries is expected to boost the hermetic packaging market.

Hermetic packaging is increasingly used to protect sensitive electrical parts, particularly in the automotive industry. For example, the hermetic seal is increasingly demanded by sensitive parts of the car which are prone to corrosion like air conditioning compressors, engine control, airbag igniters, seatbelt pre-tensioners, and others.

Furthermore, electronic components require metal, ceramic, and glass hermetic packaging that separates the micro electrical parts from the environment. Additionally, the use of hermetic seals in semiconductor devices is increasing as it protects the device from dust particles, pressure, shock, and vibration.

In addition, hermetic connectors are increasingly used in the aerospace industry as it is for terminals and headers within an airplane. Moreover, hermetic connectors ensure stability and integrity to delicate parts and are even used in fuel tanks to prevent seepage of fuel. Therefore, the end-user demand is increasing.

Read more: Hermetic Packaging Global Market Report 2023: Increase in Demand from the Automotive, Electronics, and Aerospace Industries Bolsters Growth

For electronic warfare systems, implantable medical devices, down-hole oil logging tools, and other applications that require components to operate reliably in harsh and mission-critical environments, reliable hermetic packaging and components provide a critical defense against failures that can quickly lead to catastrophic results. To respond efficiently to those reliability challenges, manufacturers should look to a comprehensive approach to hermetic packaging — one able to combine the optimal blend of techniques and technologies required to meet each application’s unique requirements.

Hermetic Packaging Considerations:

  • Every mission-critical application needs reliable connector options. For harsh environments, reliability depends on the availability of rugged hermetic seals, regardless of whether the connector is a standard or custom configuration.
  • To secure sensitive electronics within a hermetic package, engineers need flexible attachment options for solder and preform geometries. Selecting the optimum alloy and shape for these preforms requires a careful understanding of the associated physical and chemical requirements.
  • Applications increasingly need diverse thermal management solutions. High temperatures can degrade device performance and reliability. Manufacturers need to apply manufacturing methods and materials able to protect the system from temperature stress.
  • Manufacturers may need getters to mitigate damage from outgassing in many designs. Inside a sealed package, the release of moisture, hydrogen or other volatile gases commonly associated with electronic devices can cause serious performance and/or reliability issues in systems operating in harsh environments. Placed within the package, getters can absorb these materials before they impact the packaged electronic systems.
  • Finally, manufacturers need robust package lidding and sealing options able to maintain a hermetic seal in the face of mechanical, chemical or thermal stress found in the target application.
  • To address these challenges, manufacturers should consider a diverse range materials and methods best able to meet each application’s unique requirements.

The Package

Multiple materials are available to address specific packaging priorities including:

  • Kovar. Kovar is common in the industry. It is an iron-nickel alloy that is heavy, somewhat expensive and has low thermal conductivity. It does however offer a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to hard glass — it expands and contracts at about the same rate and is often matched with borosilicate glass.
  • Aluminum. Aluminum is lightweight and possesses high rates of thermal expansion, low density and low strength, and offers good thermal conductivity.
  • Titanium. Titanium is strong and light with a low CTE but poor thermal conductivity and is typically required for implantable packages.
  • Titanium composite. A titanium composite exhibits all the good characteristics of titanium. It can be used with integrated copper-molybdenum (CuMo) heatsinks for greatly improved thermal conductivity.

Read more: Tackling the Unique Requirements of Hermetic Packaging for Harsh Environments

Hermetic packaging market players are looking to consolidate their position by offering high-quality, yet cost-effective solutions to end-users, according to a new study by Future Market Insights. The market study tracks global hermetic packaging sales globally for the period 2022-2030

The hermetic packaging market is among the industries which are affected by the pandemic. However, this slowdown is expected to be moderate as demand for electronic goods such as smartphones and laptops is increasing in the wake of issuance of work from home guidelines.

Also, demand in the defense sector is likely to sustain demand for hermetic packaging, as national security concerns have acquired an even greater priority due to concerns of foreign aggression amongst the world’s major military powers such as the United States, China and India.

Hermetic packaging has acquired immense importance across the packaging industry. Over the years, hermetic packaging has been adopted across several important industries, most notably in the electronics sector. The ability to offer enhanced protection from hostile environmental conditions makes them a highly preferred approach by leading electronics manufacturers.

Some applications of hermetic sealing include thermostats, semiconductor electronics, MEMS, switches and optical devices. These electronic parts may be hermetically sealed to prevent damage from water vapor or other forms of moisture and other highly volatile elements. Additionally, surveillance equipment for defense and military also make exhaustive usage of hermetic seals.

Key Takeaways from FMI’s Hermetic Packaging Report

Transponder glass hermetic packaging to capture the lion’s share of the market
Rising national security concerns to accelerate defense & military equipment demand, leading to proliferation of defense hermetic packaging
Ceramic to metal sealing to emerge as the fastest expanding hermetic packaging solution
China to emerge as a hotbed for hermetic packaging, attributed to rising demand for consumer electronics

“Deepening penetration of smart technologies is expected to heighten demand for smart devices, prompting vendors to enhance research capacities to launch robust hermetic packaging solutions,” infers the FMI analyst

Read more: Hermetic Packaging Market Global Revenue Growth Expectations in the Near Future

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.

Read more: Hermetic packaging for implantable microsystems

For electronic warfare systems, implantable medical devices, down-hole oil logging tools, and other applications that require components to operate reliably in harsh and mission-critical environments, reliable hermetic packaging and components provide a critical defense against failures that can quickly lead to catastrophic results. To respond efficiently to those reliability challenges, manufacturers should look to a comprehensive approach to hermetic packaging — one able to combine the optimal blend of techniques and technologies required to meet each application’s unique requirements.

Hermetic Packaging Considerations:

  • Every mission-critical application needs reliable connector options. For harsh environments, reliability depends on the availability of rugged hermetic seals, regardless of whether the connector is a standard or custom configuration.
  • To secure sensitive electronics within a hermetic package, engineers need flexible attachment options for solder and preform geometries. Selecting the optimum alloy and shape for these preforms requires a careful understanding of the associated physical and chemical requirements.
  • Applications increasingly need diverse thermal management solutions. High temperatures can degrade device performance and reliability. Manufacturers need to apply manufacturing methods and materials able to protect the system from temperature stress.
  • Manufacturers may need getters to mitigate damage from outgassing in many designs. Inside a sealed package, the release of moisture, hydrogen or other volatile gases commonly associated with electronic devices can cause serious performance and/or reliability issues in systems operating in harsh environments. Placed within the package, getters can absorb these materials before they impact the packaged electronic systems.
  • Finally, manufacturers need robust package lidding and sealing options able to maintain a hermetic seal in the face of mechanical, chemical or thermal stress found in the target application.
  • To address these challenges, manufacturers should consider a diverse range materials and methods best able to meet each application’s unique requirements.

The Package

Multiple materials are available to address specific packaging priorities including:

  • Kovar. Kovar is common in the industry. It is an iron-nickel alloy that is heavy, somewhat expensive and has low thermal conductivity. It does however offer a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) similar to hard glass — it expands and contracts at about the same rate and is often matched with borosilicate glass.
  • Aluminum. Aluminum is lightweight and possesses high rates of thermal expansion, low density and low strength, and offers good thermal conductivity.
  • Titanium. Titanium is strong and light with a low CTE but poor thermal conductivity and is typically required for implantable packages.
  • Titanium composite. A titanium composite exhibits all the good characteristics of titanium. It can be used with integrated copper-molybdenum (CuMo) heatsinks for greatly improved thermal conductivity.

Read more: Tackling the Unique Requirements of Hermetic Packaging for Harsh Environments

The Global Hermetic Packaging Market size is expected to reach USD 5.12 Billion by 2028, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.5 % during the forecast period. The growing transformation in businesses owing to acceptance of integrated automation systems will have a tremendous impact on the global market, states Vantage Market Research, in a report, titled “Hermetic Packaging Market by Configuration (Multilayer Ceramic Packages, Pressed Ceramic Packages, Metal Can Packages), by Type (Passivation Glass, Reed Glass, Transponder Glass, Glass-Metal Sealing (GTMS), by Application (Transistors, Sensors, Lasers, Airbag Ignitors), by Industry (Military & Defense, Aeronautics & Space, Automotive, Energy & Nuclear Safety), by Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa) – Global Industry Assessment (2016 – 2021) & Forecast (2022 – 2028)”. The market size stood at USD 3.76 Billion in 2021.

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The COVID-19 outbreak has affected various industries worldwide. The Hermetic Packaging Market is no exception. Governments across the world took severe actions like border seals, lockdown, and implementing strict social distancing measures, in order to stop swift spread of COVID-19. These actions led to severe impact on the global economy impairing various industries. The impact of COVID-19 on the market demand is considered while estimating the current and forecast market size and growth trends of the market for all the regions and countries based on the following data-points:

Read more: Hermetic Packaging Market Worth USD 5.12 Billion by 2028

Global Hermetic Packaging Market Definition
Hermetic packaging is an advanced level packaging technique which has its prime applications in active and passive electronic devices and also in the semiconductor and electronics industry. Hermetic packaging protects extremely sensitive electronics, which include sensors, laser diodes, and optoelectronic components from humidity and corrosion. Hermetic packaging also protects the electronic systems against environmental circumstances, such as variations in atmospheric pressure, moisture, soil, and other hazards, that could damage electrical connections or sensitive electronic components. It plays a significant role in the safe and reliable functionality of various healthcare and electronic products by extending the service life of electrical components.

The method is formerly used for the safekeeping of MEMS devices from gas or moisture in various industries such as defense, healthcare, aerospace, and automobiles. Due to enhanced technological advancements, several manufacturers are launching diverse products for the security of highly sensitive electronic components and electronic implantable medical devices. Electrical or electronic parts may be hermetic sealed to defend against water vapor and foreign bodies to keep proper functioning and reliability. Hermetic packaging also is used in landscape and exterior construction projects to preserve general services and landscape lighting electrical connections/splices.

Factors influencing the Hermetic Packaging Market
Factors that are driving the growth of the market include growing demand for consumer electronics and wide applicability in packaging activities of growing sectors. In regards to the growing demand for consumer electronics; expanding middle-class, changing lifestyle preferences, growing inclination toward using smart electronic devices are among the primary factors driving the growth of the global consumer electronics market. In addition, the rising disposable income of consumers, coupled with the need for Internet usage, will propel the demand for electronic devices over the forecast period. Governments around the world are increasingly supporting digitalization, eventually promoting the usage of various electronic devices among consumers. This is anticipated to bolster the consumer electronics market on a global level.

Read more: Hermetic Packaging Market Size And Forecast

The Global Hermetic Packaging Market size was estimated at USD 3,353.34 Million in 2020 and expected to reach USD 3,544.01 Million in 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) 6.02% to reach USD 4,763.33 Million by 2026.

Market Statistics:

The report provides market sizing and forecast across five major currencies – USD, EUR GBP, JPY, and AUD. It helps organization leaders make better decisions when currency exchange data is readily available. In this report, the years 2018 and 2019 are considered historical years, 2020 as the base year, 2021 as the estimated year, and years from 2022 to 2026 are considered the forecast period.

Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies to help the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. It describes the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth during a forecast period.

FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Hermetic Packaging Market based on Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.

Market Share Analysis:

The Market Share Analysis offers the analysis of vendors considering their contribution to the overall market. It provides the idea of its revenue generation into the overall market compared to other vendors in the space. It provides insights into how vendors are performing in terms of revenue generation and customer base compared to others. Knowing market share offers an idea of the size and competitiveness of the vendors for the base year. It reveals the market characteristics in terms of accumulation, fragmentation, dominance, and amalgamation traits.

Read more: Global Hermetic Packaging Market (2021 to 2026)