Platinum Contact Layer for Silver Sinter Oxidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sinter layers, especially those made of silver, face issues with oxidation and loss of grip due to oxygen solubility and diffusion, leading to instability in sintered connections, which existing solutions attempt to address with thick gold or palladium layers, but these are costly or require additional adhesive layers.
Innovation Solution
A sinter layer comprising silver or copper with a contact layer made of platinum, rhodium, or iridium, which is permeable to oxygen and forms a stable connection by preventing dissolution and oxidation, reducing the need for extensive noble metal usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thin gold cover layer is used on a silver sinter layer, then the underlying layers are protected from oxidation, but the gold dissolves in the silver over time and the sinter layer loses grip on the oxide layer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive gold (which dissolves in silver) with a thin layer of inexpensive platinum that forms a stable intermetallic compound barrier. The platinum layer acts as a sacrificial protective barrier that prevents oxygen diffusion while maintaining structural integrity, eliminating the need for thick noble metal layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite contact layer structure consisting of platinum and silver that forms a stable intermetallic compound (PtAg). This composite material combines the benefits of oxidation resistance with structural stability, preventing both gold dissolution and oxygen permeation simultaneously.
2Reliability
If thick gold layers are used to prevent oxidation, then the underlying layers are protected, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from gold to platinum and optimizes the layer thickness to a thin film configuration. This parameter change enables effective oxidation protection with minimal noble metal content, reducing both cost and material quantity while maintaining protective functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive gold with inexpensive platinum in a thin layer configuration, achieving the same protective function with significantly reduced noble metal content and lower cost.
3Ease of manufacture
If porous silver sinter layers are used in pressure-free sintering, then the sintering process is simplified, but de-wetting of silver on metal oxide layers occurs in the long run
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a platinum-containing contact layer as an intermediary between the silver sinter layer and the metal oxide substrate. This intermediate layer prevents direct contact between silver and the oxide surface, eliminating de-wetting while maintaining the simplicity of pressure-free sintering for the silver layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite contact structure with platinum and silver that provides both adhesive stability and ease of manufacture. The platinum component ensures long-term bonding stability while the silver component maintains compatibility with pressure-free sintering processes.
4Area of stationary object
If thick silver layers are used for coverage, then coverage is improved, but an additional adhesive layer made of noble metal is required underneath
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the adhesive layer and the cover layer into a single platinum-containing contact layer. This consolidated layer provides both adhesive stability and oxidation protection, eliminating the need for separate noble metal adhesive layers underneath thick silver coverage layers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of platinum, rhodium, or iridium contact layers ensures long-term stability in oxygen-containing environments without the need for excessive noble metals, maintaining connection integrity and reducing the risk of oxidation.
Implementation Method 1
sinter layers, e.g., of silver, may have a high solubility and diffusivity of oxygen
Implementation Method 2
underlying layers that are prone to oxidation can be covered by means of such cover layers and thus be protected
Implementation Method 3
the sintering material is sintered between the first and second component to be the sinter layer. This sintering process can be affected under the influence of heat and/or pressure and/or ultrasound during a sintering time
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device and a method for producing an electronic device are disclosed. In an embodiment the electronic device includes a first component and a second component and a sinter layer connecting the first component to the second component, the sinter layer comprising a first metal, wherein at least one of the components comprises at least one contact layer which is arranged in direct contact with the sinter layer, which comprises a second metal different from the first metal and which is free of gold.