> Is it true that Ag exhibits poor adhesion to Si, say for example, in > comparison to Al? Will a thin layer of Cr help to improve this adhesion? > Finally, are there other straightforward methods to promote adhesion of > these materials? Standard IC packaging stacks for Silver usually follow the "adhesion layer" - "intermetallic barrier" - "bond metal" scheme, e.g. Ti - Ni - Ag or Cr - NiV - Ag. The two most straightforward methods to promote adhesion without any underlayers are: a1) bring the substrate in "as clean as possible" a2) if possible, roughen up the surface a bit (sputter etch) b) keep substrate temperature as low as possible regards klaus -- (TEEL) Tokyo Electron Europe Limited PVD Process Support (ex MRC) Klaus Beschorner Tel +49-7033-45683 Drosselweg 6 Fax +49-7033-45631 71120 Grafenau, Germany Mobile +49-174 315 7754