Objective Electrical, thermal and mechanical contacts are the weak links in electronic components and assemblies, especially in power electronics with high power dissipation and chip temperatures. The present contact technologies are reaching their limits of applicability: The lifetimes of soft soldered die bonds and electrical contacts by Al large wire bonds are limited by materials degradation due to thermo-mechanical stress/fatigue. The new improved microcontact technology which has been basically developed in the running Brite/EuRam project "Improved Microcontact Technology (IMMICO, BE-8225)" is offering the opportunity of a more effective microcontact technology. It is based on the low-temperature solidification of intermetallic phases which form heatresistant contacts. The main objective of the proposed project is to transfer the achievements of the running Brite/EuRam project to SMEs. The IMMICO-process forms a small gap intermetallic bonding layer in a metallurgical system consisting of a high melting metal (e.g. Cu) contact metallisation and a low melting metal (e.g. Sn). Because of the total transformation into intermetallic phase the working temperature of the bond is several hundred degree Celsius higher than the process temperature. Programme(s) FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 0202 - New methodologies for product design and manufacture Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme EAW - Exploratory awards Coordinator D-Tech GmbH - Antriebstechnik und Mikroelektronik Address 9,piderits bleiche 33689 Bielefeld Germany See on map EU contribution € 0,00