SBIR Phase I: Process for Hermetically Sealing Electronic and Optical Packages

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段的研究项目将开发一种新的制造工艺，用于密封敏感的电子和光学封装。新工艺利用基于复合反应预成型件的密封来生产真正的金属气密密封件，而不会使部件显著受热。反应复合材料预制体是由反应丝基材料嵌入焊料基体而成。该丝由具有高混合热的两种材料的紧密分布组成，在用小能量脉冲引发时，其经历自蔓延放热反应。通过将复合材料预成型件插入两个部件之间并引发反应，所产生的热量使焊料熔化并将部件结合。与键合技术相关的局部加热避免了对元件的热损伤。电子和光学封装的气密密封可占器件总制造成本的70%。因此，设计一种低成本的密封方法将代表这一领域商业潜力的重大进展。本文提出的基于复合反应预制件的密封工艺将以比主要竞争技术激光焊接低三到四倍的成本生产金属气密密封件。此外，与激光焊接相反，新工艺将需要制造商的最小资本支出，并将适合于器械制造商的高容量内部密封。最后，复合材料预成型件密封工艺适合于密封现有的包装设计，避免了与改变包装设计相关的费用。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will develop a new manufacturing process for hermetically sealing sensitive electronic and optical packages. The new process utilizes composite reactive preform-based sealing to produce true metallic hermetic seals without significant thermal exposure of the components. Reactive composite preforms are composed of reactive wire-based materials embedded ina solder matrix. The wires consist of an intimate distribution of two materials with high heats of mixing which, upon initiation with a small energy pulse, undergo a self propagating exothermic reaction. By inserting the composite preform between two components and initiating the reaction the heat generated melts the solder and bonds the components. The localized heating associated with the bonding technique avoids thermal damage to the components.The hermetic sealing of electronic and optical packages can constitute up to 70% of the total manufacturing cost of the device. Devising a low-cost method of sealing would therefore represent a major advance in the commercial potential of this field. The composite reactive preform-based sealing process proposed here will produce metallic hermetic seals at a cost three to four times lower than laser welding, the major competingtechnology. In addition, as opposed to laser welding, the new process will require minimal capital outlay by the manufacturer and will lend itself to high volume in-house sealing by device manufacturers. Finally the composite preform sealing process lends itself to sealing existing package designs, avoiding the expense associated with changing package designs.