Electrical and mechanical properties of ion-plated copper metallization on dielectric substrates

The use of the ion-plating technique for the metallization of dielectric substrates with copper, needed in the fabrication of microwave integrated circuits (MICs), is described. The effect of deposition conditions such as pressure, bias, and evaporation rate on the properties of the metallization, including microstructure, stress, adhesion, DC resistivity, and microwave quality factor, is studied. Results indicate that under optimum conditions the ion-plating technique can give higher yield and good adhesion without the use of an intermediate bonding layer. The ion-plating process can therefore be used for the metallization of dielectrics, reducing cycle time and cost, and improving their reliability