Electrodeposition of platinum-iridium alloy nanowires for hermetic packaging of microelectronics

An electrodeposition technique was applied for fabrication of dense platinum-iridium alloy nanowires as interconnect structures in hermetic microelectronic packaging to be used in implantable devices. Vertically aligned arrays of platinum-iridium alloy nanowires with controllable length and a diameter of about 200 nm were fabricated using a cyclic potential technique from a novel electrodeposition bath in nanoporous aluminum oxide templates. Ti/Au thin films were sputter deposited on one side of the alumina membranes to form a base material for electrodeposition. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) were used to characterize the morphology and the chemical composition of the nanowires, respectively. SEM micrographs revealed that the electrodeposited nanowires have dense and compact structures. EDS analysis showed a 60:40% platinum-iridium nanowire composition. Deposition rates were estimated by determining nanowire length as a function of deposition time. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) images revealed that the nanowires have a nanocrystalline structure with grain sizes ranging from 3 nm to 5 nm. Helium leak tests performed using a helium leak detector showed leak rates as low as 1 × 10^-11 mbar L s^-1 indicating that dense nanowires were electrodeposited inside the nanoporous membranes. Comparison of electrical measurements on platinum and platinum-iridium nanowires revealed that platinum-iridium nanowires have improved electrical conductivity.