ABSTRACT
Metals bonded to insulators such as Al20 3 and Si02 are widely used in microelectronics and hybrid circuit technologies and have important applications as thermal barriers, as coatings, and also in catalysis. In microelectronics, a strong bond between the conductor film and the insulator is vital for the reliability of advanced integrated circuits. Strong metal-insulator bonding is also required for the integration of devices in advanced electronic packages. The roadblock in the usage of ceramics as heat exchangers, heat engines, and wear-resistant parts can be removed by joining metals to ceramics in new composite materials. However, when the composite performance is poor, it is generally due to insufficient strength of the interfacial bonding rather than to the structural integrity of each material. In film deposition, along with the species of metal being deposited, the adhesion strength is related to the surface characteristics of the substrate. Therefore, it can be expected that the state of this surface may be engineered to meet adhesion requirements of deposited films for specific uses. Alternatively, attention could be focused upon improving adhesion by modifying the interfacial region of the metal-insulator interface after it has been produced. In this chapter, the effects of surface modifications of the substrate prior to film deposition and of already produced interfaces on metal-ceramic bonding will be discussed.
