Thermocompressive process bonds gold-coated substrates. (Welding/Joining).

A technique of thermocompressive gold-to-gold diffusion bonding at relatively low temperatures has reportedly been developed to provide stable, uniform, strong bonds between structural components of microelectromechanical systems by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The parts to be joined must have faying surfaces that are either flat or shaped to fit each other. Before bonding, each surface is coated via electron-beam evaporation with a layer of chromium, then with a layer of gold. The coated substrates are clamped ...