Improved polyimide thin-film electrodes for neural implants

Thin-film electrode arrays for neural implants are necessary when large integration densities of stimulating or recording channels are required. However, delamination of the metallic layers from the polymer substrate leads to early failure of the device. Based on new adhesion studies of polyimide to SiC and diamond-like carbon (DLC) the authors successfully fabricated a 232-channel electrode array for retinal stimulation with improved adhesion. Layers of SiC and DLC were integrated into the fabrication procedure of polyimide-platinum (Pt) arrays to create fully coated metal wires, which adhere to the polyimide substrate even after 1 year of accelerated aging in saline solution. Studies on the inter-diffusion of Pt and SiC were conducted to establish an optimal thickness for a gold core of the platinum tracks, which is used for reducing the electrical track resistance. Furthermore, the electrochemical behaviour of the stimulating contacts coated with IrOx were studied in a long-term pulse tests over millions of pulses showing no deterioration of the coating.