Low temperature reaction bonding

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the method for enhancing the bond energy of solid-to-solid reaction bonding, the surfaces to be bonded are polished to a roughness in the order of atomic dimensions then cleaned to remove contaminants and particulates.
The cleaned surfaces are then ion bombarded in a gas plasma to activate the surface.
For many gases (H.
sub.
2, N.
sub.
2, O.
sub.
2, CF.
sub.
4, SF.
sub.
6, CF.
sub.
4 +O.
sub.
2, SF.
sub.
6 +O.
sub.
2, etc.
), there are conditions which yield some enhancement of bond energy, but sizeable increases have only been demonstrated for gas plasmas containing either oxygen, fluorine, or a mixture of oxygen and fluorine.
The highest bond energies for low temperatures have been obtained with oxygen and fluorine mixtures.
After ion bombardment, the activated surfaces are given a final high pressure water jet flush to remove any particulates, spun dried, and then contact bonded.
The bond energy between the contacted surfaces can increase thereafter, at temperatures as low as room temperature, to a satisfactory value in as little as four hours.
There is a time-temperature tradeoff such that at 200.
degree.
C.
a high bond energy can be obtained in less than 10 minutes.
Further advantages of activating the surfaces to be reaction bonded by oxygen and fluorine ion bombardment may be obtained from reading the specification in conjunction with the appended figures.