Room-temperature wafer scale bonding using smoothed Au seal ring surfaces for hermetic sealing

We evaluated room-temperature bonding characteristics of electroplated Au surfaces smoothed by the lift-off and imprint methods. As a result, we found that smoothed surfaces enable strong bonding; on the other hand, electroplated rough surfaces result in very weak bonding. In transmission electron microscopy observations, no delamination was observed at the bonding interface bonded at room temperature using a smooth surface prepared by the lift-off method. Moreover, the hermeticity of the bonding interface prepared using smoothed surfaces was evaluated using diaphragm structures. As a result, we confirmed that good hermetic sealing was achieved using the electroplated Au surface smoothed by the liftoff method. (C) 2016 The Japan Society of Applied Physics