Hydrogen and stress in electroless copper and electroless nickel films

Electroless copper is used by the printed circuit board industry for interconnections between the different components. High-end applications, such as mobile phones, drive the need for smaller connections, flexible substrates and efficient manufacturing methods. Atotech, the industrial partner, is one of the global leaders in this segment. Mount Allison University has been a research partner for eight years, focussing on evaluating copper film stress and hydrogen content. The current stage of the project is to investigate how bath additives can be used to reduce hydrogen co-plating and to control film stress. This project combines in an ideal way applied industrial research with academic questions, providing an excellent learning opportunity for a graduate student.

Faculty Supervisor:

Deny Hamel

Student:

Alexandre Leger

Partner:

Atotech Deutschland GmbH

Discipline:

Physics / Astronomy

Sector:

Automotive and transportation

University:

Program: