Key Research Areas

Galvanically and electroless plating technologies for several metals (Ag, Au, Pt, Cu, Ni and alloys, Sn and alloys) are available at Fraunhofer IZM. We are developing plating technologies and or electrolytes to improve layer properties and to create new applications in electronics packaging, sensorics and other fields.

Micro galvanics at IZM are developments of electrochemical plating technologies resulting in micro to nano structured metallic surfaces with defined 3d surface profiles and much enhanced surface areas.

At this time two technologies are available.

The template technology normally produces metallic nano wires or nano lawn structures with wire diameters of 50 …5000 nm and aspect ratios until 100. Our nano lawn technology is based on prestructured polycarbonate template foils with thicknesses until 20 µm.

The new developed G-plating technology allows in opposite to the template foil technique mask free direct plating onto pad structures. The crystal growth is predominantly vertical directed

and the edges are only a few nanometer wide.

This technology requires special equipment and adapted electrolytes. At this time we have gold and silver G-plating systems available.

The layers are suitable for low temperature chip to chip compression  bonding with ultra flat mono metallic interconnect bumps.

They are excellent useful for electrochemical sensorics with an highly increased signal to noise ratio.

Furthemore the G-plating produced Au surfaces (Au-shark teeth structures) have a high potential for micro biological applications and research. Here they are very useful as cell growth substrate, based on this cryo conservation of living cells, but also interaction, signal deflection or cell stimulation will be possible.