Biocompatible bonding method and electronics package suitable for implantation

• US 7,904,148 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2006
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Dao Min, Neysmith, Jordan, Greenberg, Robert J., Talbot, Neil, Ok, Jerry
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow; Scott M
• Application Number:
  US11/517,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20070005112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/54, 257/778
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/563 Encapsulation of active face of flip-chip device, e.g. underfilling or underencapsulation of flip-chip, encapsulation preform on chip or mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0557 the external layer being disposed on a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05571 the external layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13169 Platinum [Pt] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13178 Iridium [Ir] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81469 Platinum [Pt] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81478 Iridium [Ir] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81815 Reflow soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4985 : Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/49572 and H01L23/49855 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 : using a bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 : Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 : Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 : Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 : Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 : MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/028 : Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits H05K1/0283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 : Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/09 : Use of materials for the conductive, e.g. metallic pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/111 : Pads for surface mounting, e.g. lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/113 : Via provided in pad; Pad over filled via
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/115 : Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections H05K1/112 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 : characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0469 : by applying a glue or viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09127 : PCB or component having an integral separable or breakable part
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1028 : Thin metal strips as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 : Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10295 : Metallic connector elements partly mounted in a hole of the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10977 : Encapsulated connections applying non-metallic protective coatings for encapsulating mounted components H05K3/284
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/05 : Patterning and lithography; Masks; Details of resist
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/06 : Lamination
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0733 : Method for plating stud vias, i.e. massive vias formed by plating the bottom of a hole without plating on the walls
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/09 : Treatments involving charged particles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/107 : Using laser light shaping a substrate by laser ablation H05K3/0026
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1446 : Treatment after insertion of lead into hole, e.g. bending, cutting, caulking or curing of adhesive but excluding soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/10 : in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/188 : by direct electroplating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/305 : Affixing by adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 : by conductive adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/328 : by welding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3436 : having an array of bottom contacts, e.g. pad grid array or ball grid array components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 : Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4015 : using auxiliary conductive elements, e.g. pieces of metal foil, metallic spheres
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 : Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4084 : by deforming at least one of the conductive layers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/423 : characterised by electroplating method
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4644 : by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4652 : Adding a circuit layer by laminating a metal foil or a preformed metal foil pattern H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 : Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers

Abstract

The invention is directed to a method of bonding a hermetically sealed electronics package to an electrode or a flexible circuit and the resulting electronics package, that is suitable for implantation in living tissue, such as for a retinal or cortical electrode array to enable restoration of sight to certain non-sighted individuals. The hermetically sealed electronics package is directly bonded to the flex circuit or electrode by electroplating a biocompatible material, such as platinum or gold, effectively forming a plated rivet-shaped connection, which bonds the flex circuit to the electronics package. The resulting electronic device is biocompatible and is suitable for long-term implantation in living tissue.

Claims

1. A method of making a device comprising:

a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

a flexible assembly; and

at least one deposited rivet that bonds said substrate and said flexible assembly together, comprising the steps of;

providing a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive; and

electrochemically depositing a layer of platinum greater than one micron thick, with a Vickers hardness greater than ten, on said electrically conductive portion.

2. A method of making a device comprising:

a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

a flexible assembly; and

at least one deposited rivet that bonds said substrate and said flexible assembly together, comprising the steps of;

providing a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

electrochemically depositing a layer of platinum greater than one micron thick, with a Vickers hardness greater than ten, on said electrically conductive portion; and

further comprising the step of selecting a charge density for electrochemically depositing that is proportional to the area of said electrically conductive portion.

3. A method of making a device comprising:

a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive;

a flexible assembly; and

at least one deposited rivet that bonds said substrate and said flexible assembly together, comprising the steps of;

providing a substrate at least a portion of which is electrically conductive; and

electrochemically depositing a layer of platinum greater than ten microns thick, with a Vickers hardness greater than ten, on said electrically conductive portion.