Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Insulation of thin-film parylene-C/platinum probes in saline solution through encapsulation in multilayer ALD ceramic films

  • Published:
Biomedical Microdevices Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The long-term electrical leakage performance of parylene-C/platinum/parylene-C (Px/Pt/Px) interconnect in saline is evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Three kinds of additional ceramic encapsulation layers between the metal and Px are characterized: 50 nm-thick alumina (Al2O3), 50 nm-thick titania (TiO2), and 80 nm-thick Al2O3-TiO2 nanolaminate (NL). The Al2O3 and TiO2 encapsulation layers worsen the overall insulation properties. The NL encapsulation layer improves the insulation when combined with a TiO2 outer layer to promote adhesion to the Px. Experiments are performed with various insulation promotion treatments: A-174 silane (A174) treatment before Px deposition (to promote adhesion); SF6 plasma treatment (F) after Px deposition (to increase hydrophobicity); and ion-milling descum (IM) after Px deposition (to prevent parylene oxidation). A174 and F treatments do not have a significant impact, while IM leads to worse insulation performance. A circuit model elucidates the insulation characteristics of Px-ceramic-Pt-ceramic-Px interconnect. These studies provide a foundation for processing ultra-compliant neural probes with long-term chronic utility.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • A.I. Abdulagatov, Y. Yan, J.R. Cooper, Y. Zhang, Z.M. Gibbs, A.S. Cavanagh, R.G. Yang, Y.C. Lee, S.M. George, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 3, 4593 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ASTM F1980-07, Standard Guide for Accelerated Aging of Sterile Barrier Systems for Medical Devices (ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2011), www.astm.org. Accessed 1 July 2018

  • X. Bi, B.P. Crum, W. Li, J. Microelectromech. Syst. 23, 628 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Caldwell, L. Rieth, X. Xie, R. Sharma, F. Solzbacher, and P. Tathireddy, in 2015 Transducers - 2015 18th Int. Conf. Solid-State Sensors, Actuators Microsystems (IEEE, 2015), pp. 1747–1750

  • R. Caldwell, H. Mandal, R. Sharma, F. Solzbacher, P. Tathireddy, L. Rieth, J. Neural Eng. 14, 46011 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. Chun, N. Chou, S. Cho, S. Yang, S. Kim, Prog. Org. Coatings 77, 537 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Hassler, R. Von Metzen, and T. Stieglitz, 4th Eur. Conf. … 2439 (2009)

  • C. Hassler, R.P. von Metzen, P. Ruther, T. Stieglitz, J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater 93, 266 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • J.M. Herrera Morales, Evaluating Biocompatible Barrier Films as Encapsulants of Medical Micro Devices (Université Grenoble Alpes, 2016)

  • J.-M. Hsu, L. Rieth, R.A. Normann, P. Tathireddy, F. Solzbacher, IEEE Trans. Biomed. Eng. 56, 23 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • A. Kahouli, J. Appl. Phys. 112, 64103 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R. Khilwani, P.J. Gilgunn, T.D.Y. Kozai, X.C. Ong, E. Korkmaz, P.K. Gunalan, X.T. Cui, G.K. Fedder, O.B. Ozdoganlar, Biomed. Microdevices 18(97), 97 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L.H. Kim, K. Kim, S. Park, Y.J. Jeong, H. Kim, D.S. Chung, S.H. Kim, C.E. Park, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 6, 6731 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W. Li, D. C. Rodger, E. Meng, J. D. Weiland, M. S. Humayun, and Y.-C. Tai, in 2006 Int. Conf. Microtechnologies Med. Biol. (IEEE, 2006), pp. 105–108

  • W. Li, D. Rodger, P. Menon, Y. Tai, ECS Trans. 11, 1 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Luan, X. Wei, Z. Zhao, J.J. Siegel, O. Potnis, C.A. Tuppen, S. Lin, S. Kazmi, R.A. Fowler, S. Holloway, A.K. Dunn, R.A. Chitwood, C. Xie, Sci. Adv. 3, e1601966 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Minnikanti, G. Diao, J.J. Pancrazio, X. Xie, L. Rieth, F. Solzbacher, N. Peixoto, Acta Biomater. 10, 960 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • X. C. Ong, M. Forssell, and G. K. Fedder, in 2016 IEEE 29th Int. Conf. Micro Electro Mech. Syst. (IEEE, 2016), pp. 509–512

  • S.E. Potts, L. Schmalz, M. Fenker, B. Díaz, J. Światowska, V. Maurice, a. Seyeux, P. Marcus, G. Radnóczi, L. Tóth, W.M.M. Kessels, J. Electrochem. Soc. 158, C132 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D.C. Rodger, A.J. Fong, W. Li, H. Ameri, A.K. Ahuja, C. Gutierrez, I. Lavrov, H. Zhong, P.R. Menon, E. Meng, J.W. Burdick, R.R. Roy, V.R. Edgerton, J.D. Weiland, M.S. Humayun, Y.-C. Tai, Sensors Actuators B Chem. 132, 449 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Seymour, D.R. Kipke, Biomaterials 28, 3594 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Seymour, Y.M. Elkasabi, H.-Y. Chen, J. Lahann, D.R. Kipke, Biomaterials 30, 6158 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H.S. Sohal, A. Jackson, R. Jackson, G.J. Clowry, K. Vassilevski, A. O’Neill, S.N. Baker, Front. Neuroeng. 7(1) (2014)

  • R.P. von Metzen, T. Stieglitz, Biomed. Microdevices 15, 727 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. Won, S. Go, W. Lee, K. Jeong, H. Jung, C. Lee, E. Lee, J. Lee, Met. Mater. Int. 14, 759 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • X. Xie, L. Rieth, S. Negi, R. Bhandari, R. Caldwell, R. Sharma, P. Tathireddy, F. Solzbacher, J. Micromech. Microeng. 24(35003) (2014a)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • X. Xie, L. Rieth, L. Williams, S. Negi, R. Bhandari, R. Caldwell, R. Sharma, P. Tathireddy, F. Solzbacher, J. Neural Eng. 11(26016), 026016 (2014b)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • H. Yasuda, Q. Yu, M. Chen, Prog. Org. Coat. 41, 273 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T.D. Yoshida Kozai, N.B. Langhals, P.R. Patel, X. Deng, H. Zhang, K.L. Smith, J. Lahann, N.A. Kotov, D.R. Kipke, Nat. Mater. 11, 1065 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Matt Moneck and his staff at the Carnegie Mellon Nanofabrication Facility for equipment and process support. This work was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ElectRx Program under the auspices of Dr. Doug Weber through the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Contract No. HR0011-15-2-0009.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Mats Forssell, Xiao Chuan Ong & Gary K. Fedder

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Rakesh Khilwani & O. Burak Ozdoganlar

  3. The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Gary K. Fedder

Authors
  1. Mats Forssell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiao Chuan Ong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rakesh Khilwani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. Burak Ozdoganlar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Gary K. Fedder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mats Forssell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Forssell, M., Ong, X.C., Khilwani, R. et al. Insulation of thin-film parylene-C/platinum probes in saline solution through encapsulation in multilayer ALD ceramic films. Biomed Microdevices 20, 61 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-018-0307-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-018-0307-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation