pp. 1577-1586
S&M2911 Research Paper of Special Issue https://doi.org/10.18494/SAM3727 Published: April 26, 2022 Performance Comparison between Atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3/HfO2 Nanolaminate and Parylene C for Implantable Devices with High Step Coverage Using Accelerated Life Testing [PDF] Takuro Kono, Yasuo Terasawa, Hiroyuki Tashiro, Tokio Ueno, and Jun Ohta (Received November 5, 2021; Accepted March 14, 2022) Keywords: hermetic packaging, Al2O3/HfO2 nanolaminate, long-term reliability, wireless measurement system
Hermetic packaging with biocompatibility and long-term reliability is essential for implantable devices. Parylene C is widely used because of its high biocompatibility, low dielectric constant, and resistance to moisture permeation. However, it degrades during long-term use and has limited step coverage. A film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an alternative to Parylene C. The self-limiting reaction of the ALD process results in the formation of a thin conformal layer with high step coverage and low pinhole density. Also, reliability evaluation has been performed on samples with low step coverage, such as thin-film metal patterns. In this study, to evaluate the reliability of high-step-coverage samples, an Al2O3/HfO2 nanolaminate was deposited by ALD on high-step-coverage samples with a coil element connected to a thin-film capacitor, and accelerated tests were conducted in phosphate-buffered saline at 77 °C. In addition, the insulating property of the packaging was evaluated by the capacitor impedance at a frequency with an impedance phase angle, which was detected wirelessly by coupling between the sample and measurement coils. Our findings demonstrate that the Al2O3/HfO2 nanolaminate functions as an effective barrier at 77 °C for 83 days. However, following accelerated tests, cracks in the Al2O3/HfO2 nanolaminate were found at coil connection sites. These results suggest that ALD has utility in various geometries for the packaging of implantable devices; however, modified connection configurations are necessary.
Corresponding author: Yasuo TerasawaThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Cite this article Takuro Kono, Yasuo Terasawa, Hiroyuki Tashiro, Tokio Ueno, and Jun Ohta, Performance Comparison between Atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3/HfO2 Nanolaminate and Parylene C for Implantable Devices with High Step Coverage Using Accelerated Life Testing, Sens. Mater., Vol. 34, No. 4, 2022, p. 1577-1586. |