Creating electrical contacts between metal particles using directed electrochemical growth

Jean-Claude Bradley (), Hsuing-Ming Chen, Jeffrey Crawford, Jennifer Eckert, Karima Ernazarova, Thomas Kurzeja, Muduo Lin, Michael McGee, Wolfgang Nadler and Samuel G. Stephens
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Jean-Claude Bradley: Drexel University
Hsuing-Ming Chen: Drexel University
Jeffrey Crawford: Drexel University
Jennifer Eckert: Drexel University
Karima Ernazarova: Drexel University
Thomas Kurzeja: Drexel University
Muduo Lin: Drexel University
Michael McGee: Drexel University
Wolfgang Nadler: Drexel University
Samuel G. Stephens: Drexel University

Nature, 1997, vol. 389, issue 6648, 268-271

Abstract: Abstract Electrical connections in microelectronics are usually established by means of photolithography to define the conducting channels. But methods that do not involve lithography have been explored, such as the use of electrodeposition1 or electropolymerization2,3,4,5,6 to grow random structures of conducting material between two electrodes. This approach has been used to make diodes, transistors and signal amplifiers based on conducting polymers2,3. Template-based7,8,9,10,11,12 and thermal plating13 strategies have also been used to direct the growth of electrically conducting media. One advantage of these approaches over photolithography is the possibility of forming contacts in three dimensions and so achieving enhanced data-processing densities. Previous electrochemical approaches have required that the electrodes to be connected are physically linked to the external voltage source. Here we show that electrodissolution and electrodeposition processes in an applied electric field can be exploited to create directional growth of copper deposits between copper particles that are not connected to an external circuit. Moreover, the particles distort the electric field in such a way as to focus the diffusion of copper ions and consequently the direction of ‘wire’ growth, enabling the particles to be connected to one another in a directional and controllable manner. This suggests that appropriately directed electric fields may be used to connect an array of such particles into an arbitrary circuit pattern.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/38464

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