Advanced Thin Film Coating for Electroplating Metals

Jet Process Corporation (JVD TM) process vaporizes wire of appropriate com - Jet Process is to provide a coating service for lead- 57B Dodge Avenue position completely into atoms, which are carried free solders such as AuSn, indium (In), InSn, SnAg, North Haven, CT 06473 by sonic inert gas carrier jets and deposited on the SnInAg, or SnCuAg, along with ancillary adhesion substrate. With this pollution-free method, virtually and diffusion barrier layers such as titanium-plat - Telephone: (203) 985-6000 any solder—elemental or multi-component—can be inum-gold (TiPtAu) or TiNiAu. http://www.jetprocess.com deposited at a high rate on photo-resist patterned substrates such as multi-micron thick films. Subse - This coating service is being used by leading manu - quent resist lift-off yields the solder bumps. When facturers of microelectronics, semiconductor pack - the bumps must be very small, with pattern window aging, advanced sensors, solid state lighting, Environmental Problem aspect ratios ~ 1, it is better to deposit metal nan - optoelectronics, telecommunications, and micro - oclusters. Once accelerated by the jet, the relatively electro-mechanical systems (MEMs) components heavy nanoclusters move directly to the substrate, and products for many advanced metallizing re - Thin film coatings play a prominent role in the manu - TM facture of electric and microelectronic devices, but unaffected by collisions with lighter carrier gas quirements. For example, JVD eutectic gold-tin some deposition methods have negative environ - atoms, and with no shadowing by the walls of the and other solder layers (1-20 microns) and titanium- mental effects. Electroplating, for example, uses toxic resist windows. Nanoclusters of any solder can be platinum-gold or titanium-tungsten bond/barrier lay - chemicals and generates significant process waste nucleated, grown, and deposited by simple alter - ers are replacing preforms in laser and ations in jet operating conditions. In addition, nan - and water pollution. Chemical vapor deposition TM (CVD) employs toxic gaseous organic precursors. The ocluster generation and deposition in JVD can be most common coating processes—sputtering, evapo - performed at high rates, making it more economical ration, CVD, and plating are not always compatible to use this technology to produce the thick films (1 with heat sensitive substrates and semiconductor to 10 microns) usually needed for solder bumps. The company also has deposited test coatings of 20 processes, and they provide only moderate output at TM a high cost. The trend in microelectronics toward or more microns on large substrates. The JVD ca - ever smaller feature sizes requires micron-sized sol - pability for using various material sources, in se - der bumps at high density for packaging. These quence or together, leads to layered structures or bumps cannot be made with bulk metal foil preforms alloys of multiple metal components, including gold but must be vapor deposited or electroplated. This is (Au), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc difficult to accomplish with conventional techniques. (Zn), iron (Fe), tin (Sn), and silver (Ag). In a reactive mode with oxygen or nitrogen, JVD TM can make re - SBIR Technology Solution producible combinations of complex oxide and ni - tride dielectrics not achievable by other thin film With support from EPA’s Small Business Innovation methods. Research (SBIR) Program, Jet Process Corporation Mag. 100 kX (Jet Process) has developed an innovative, carbon- Commercialization Information free process without toxic precursors or effluents to The versatility of JVD TM has enabled Jet Process to SEM image of platinum nanocluster films made using Jet manufacture high-quality coatings on substrates for Vapor Deposition TM , an innovative and environmentally various applications. The Jet Vapor Deposition TM develop a wide range of systems for low- and high- friendly dry process on wafers. volume production. At present, the major focus at

SBIR Success Stories microelectronics packaging applications, meeting electrics. The company holds more than 30 U.S. and sors, microelectro-mechanical systems, photonics, and wafer level processing requirements for smaller di - foreign patents and provides high-quality coatings for telecommunications and microwave devices. Jet mensions, high reliability, longer life, thermal man - diverse industrial, consumer, and military applications, Process’ global partners include Fortune 500 corpora - agement solutions, simplified assembly, including for microelectronics, semiconductor packag - tions, government, and advanced technology leaders semiconductor process compatibility, higher device ing, optoelectronics, solid state lighting, advanced sen - around the world. yields, low temperature processing, and cost.

Jet Process also uses the nanocluster capability for applications other than solder deposition, including deposition of platinum nanocluster films on pho - toresist patterned wafers as a replacement for “plat - SBIR Impact inum black,” which usually is produced via wet n chemical methods, for electrochemical and bio - Conventional electroplating processes used to apply thin film coatings medical applications. The high surface area Pt nan - on electric devices generate significant water pollution, process waste, and ocluster film shown in the scanning electron toxic effluent. microscopy (SEM) image had excellent electro - chemical response for several reactions of biomed - n Jet Process has developed jet sources for metals done by electroplating, ical interest. including chromium, nickel, copper, zinc, iron, tin, and silver, that are equivalent or superior to conventional coatings, environmentally friendly, and more cost Jet Process has worked for and/or received devel - effective, and they specialize in deposition of AuSn and other lead-free solders. opment support from many advanced technology leaders, including: IBM, Intel, Motorola, Texas In - n The Jet Vapor DepositionTM (JVD TM ) process allows easy sequential or si - struments, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, BAE, multaneous deposition of multiple metal components, enabling a repro - Ericsson, Lucent, Raytheon, Agilent, Lockheed Mar - ducible combination of complex layers and alloys. tin, 3M Company, Pratt & Whitney, and SEMAT - ECH. n JVD TM coatings are used by leading manufac - Company History and Awards turers of microelectronics, semiconductor packaging, advanced sensors, solid state light - Founded in 1991, Jet Process is based in North ing, optoelectronics, telecommunications, and Haven, Connecticut, and specializes in rapid turn - MEMs components. around thin coating services for gold-tin solders, other lead-free metal solders, and advanced thin film di -

SBIR Success Stories