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Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of alumina and Parylene-C bi-layer encaps

Award Number: R43EB018200
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2016
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2017

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Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of alumina and Parylene-C bi-layer encaps - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A range of neurological diseases are now being researched or treated using fully implantable electronic systems to either record or modulate brain activity in humans. These implants are currently being protected using polymer coatings that envelop the implant and help keep body fluids away from the sensitive electronics. Brain implants with complex three-dimensional geometries, like the Utah Electrode Array (UEA) shown in the figure, provide a challenge for current encapsulation techniques. Parylene has been the gold standard for encapsulation of neural and biomedical implants in general due to its well-suited combination of biocompatibility, electrical properties and chemical inertness. However recording capabilities of long-term neural implants (>6 months) encapsulated with Parylene show signs of degradation. To combat this problem Blackrock Microsystems proposes a novel bi-layer encapsulation scheme that combines Plasma Assisted Atomic Layer Deposited (PA-ALD) alumina layer underneath the Parylene layer. This encapsulation scheme, novel to biomedical field, will retain all the advantages of Parylene while utilizing vastly superior dielecric properties of underlying ALD alumina layer to create a much longer lasting and more electrically stable biomedical implants. This bi-layer encapsulation scheme may be seamlessly incorporated into our existing fabrication process flow for our flagship product, the UEA. The bi-layer The UEA with integrated electronics encapsulation method will work on different surfaces (metal, semiconductor, polymer, ceramic) and on devices with integrated wireless components making it ideal for coating any complex medical device intended for long term implant. The project has 4 specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Optimize an ALD alumina/Parylene bi-layer encapsulation scheme and compare performance with Parylene-only encapsulation on test devices. Specific Aim 2: Develop etch methods to selectively expose active electrode sites on UEAs coated with optimized ALD alumina/Parylene bi-layer. Specific Aim 3: Evaluate charge injection/impedance characteristics of ALD alumina/Parylene bi-layer coated UEAs. Specific Aim 4: Comparison of in vivo performance of ALD alumina/Parylene bi-layer coated UEAs to Parylene-only coated UEAs. Our preliminary results with Parylene and alumina coated planar interdigitated electrode (IDE) test structures are very promising in support of the proposed work. We have shown that the bi-layer encapsulation yields more stable leakage current, and stable impedance (with <5% change) at 67 ¿C for about 5 months (approximately equivalent to 40 months at 37 ¿C). This superior performance of bi-layer encapsulation suggests its potential usefulness for chronic implants with complex surface geometries. At the end of the Phase I 'Lab to Marketplace' SBIR project, Blackrock expects to have developed protocols and standards to transform this research from its current early-stage lab setting into a commercial-grade manufacture process.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = -$18 )
2018	2016	BLACKROCK MICROSYSTEMS, LLC	630 S KOMAS DR STE 200	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84108	SALT LAKE	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	12/14/2017	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$18
														Subtotal = -$18

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $90,357 )
2016	2016	BLACKROCK MICROSYSTEMS LLC	630 KOMAS DRIVE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84108	SALT LAKE	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	9/24/2016	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$90,357
														Subtotal = $90,357

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $334,144 )
2015	2015	BLACKROCK MICROSYSTEMS LLC	630 KOMAS DRIVE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84108	SALT LAKE	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	2	8/31/2015	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$334,144
														Subtotal = $334,144

Issue Date FY: 2014 ( Subtotal = $350,000 )
2014	2014	BLACKROCK MICROSYSTEMS LLC	630 KOMAS DRIVE	SALT LAKE CITY	UT	84108	SALT LAKE	USA	Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health	000	1	6/23/2014	NEW	$350,000
														Subtotal = $350,000

Grand Total All Awards = $774,483

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Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of alumina and Parylene-C bi-layer encaps

Award Number: R43EB018200

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE Of BIOMEDICAL IMAGING & BIOENGINEERING

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/30/2016

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2017

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