Biocompatible packaging solutions for implantable electronic systems for medical applications

Our biocompatible packaging concept for implantable electronic systems combines biocompatibility, hermeticity and extreme miniaturization. In a first phase, all chips are encapsulated in order to realize a bi-directional diffusion barrier preventing body fluids to leach into the package causing corrosion, and preventing IC materials such as Cu to diffuse into the body, causing various adverse effects. Various clean room materials are tested with respect to their suitability as encapsulation material. In a second phase of the packaging process, all chips of the final device should be electrically connected, applying a biocompatible metallization scheme using eg. gold or platinum. Device assembly is the final packaging step, during which all system components will be interconnected. To provide sufficient mechanical support, all these components are embedded using a biocompatible elastomer such as PDMS

Novel Miniaturized Packaging for Implantable Electronic Devices

A novel biocompatible packaging process for implantable electronic systems is described, combining excellent biocompatibility and hermeticity with extreme miniaturization. Biocompatible and clean room compatible materials and integration processes are evaluated and selected for die encapsulation and interconnection. Cytotoxicity, diffusion tests and corrosion tests using DI water and more aggressive bio-fluids demonstrated promising performance of the packaging

Development of Cost-effective Biocompatible Packaging for Microelectronic Devices

A cost-effective, miniaturized and biocompatible packaging method for medical devices is proposed, resulting in a small, soft and comfortable implantable package. Towards this end, the barrier materials and fabrication process for the individual die encapsulation are largely explored. We demonstrate that various common clean room materials are good candidates for preventing metal leaching into body. In accelerated tests at higher temperature, several conductive barrier materials are damaged by the test bio-fluid, suggesting insufficient resistance to body fluids in long term. Covering electrodes by noble metals will solve this problem. For metallization, noble metals as Pt are best candidates. CoO calculations showed that selective plating of Pt is more cost-effective than sputtering. To reduce the cost of a sputter process, Pt recycling is very important