The users of miniature sensors and integrated circuits in implant applications have few options in choosing a process which can hermetically encapsulate selective areas of the devices against the corrosive action of body fluids. The goal of this program is to complete the development and testing of the plasma polymerization/vapor deposition processes which demonstrated hermetic encapsulation of saline immersed CMOS integrated circuits for over 300 days in the Phase I study and adapt these methodologies to selective deposition/removal of the films to broaden their available commercial markets. The proposed Phase II plan will investigate alternate processing techniques for removal of water vapor and contaminants from the substrates, evaluate processes for selective deposition/removal of the hermetic encapsulants, determine the dielectric and chemical nature of the new materials synthesized and examine changes which occur with long-term saline soaking and voltage stressing.
