Gold Foil for MEMS Fabrication, Research, and Lab Applications

Precision Materials for Advanced Fabrication

MEMS and semiconductor manufacturing both rely on micro-scale engineering but serve different functions: MEMS integrate mechanical elements like sensors and actuators on a chip, while semiconductor manufacturing focuses on producing integrated circuits and electronic devices.

In both, ultra-thin, high-purity gold foil is widely used for its electrical conductivity, chemical stability, and compatibility with precise microfabrication processes — making it a critical material across deposition, bonding, interconnect, and packaging stages.

Key Applications

Thin Film Deposition: Ultra-thin gold foils are routinely used as source materials for sputtering, evaporation, and PVD processes. Consistent thickness and purity ensure uniform film deposition critical to micro-scale electronic devices.

Bonding & Interconnects: Gold’s ductility and conductivity support multiple bonding methods, including thermocompression and eutectic bonding. Thin foils are frequently used to create low-resistance interconnects in packaging and chip assembly.

Seed Layers and Sacrificial Films:  In MEMS fabrication, gold foil may serve as a seed layer for electroplating or as a sacrificial layer during multilayer microfabrication steps.

Optical and Photonics Devices:  For micro-optical components, gold provides high reflectivity, environmental stability, and compatibility with vacuum and cryogenic conditions.

Purity & Thickness Specifications

Gold foil used in these applications typically falls within:

Purity: 99.99% to 99.998+%

Thickness range: 0.000025 mm to 0.125 mm

Ultra-thin foils down to 0.000025 mm allow precise control over deposition and bonding layer thickness.

Performance Considerations in MEMS Applications

In microfabrication, material consistency at the ultra-thin scale is critical.

Variations in foil thickness, surface uniformity, or trace contaminants can affect electroplating adhesion, create voids in bonding layers, or introduce failure points in fine interconnect structures. Selecting gold foil with verified purity and controlled surface finish helps maintain repeatability across multiple production cycles, particularly as MEMS devices continue to scale toward smaller geometries.

Available Product Formats

Advent Research Materials supplies gold foils with:

• Polyester backing layers (5µm or 23µm) for handling stability
• Chromium keying layers where improved adhesion is required
• Rolled and light-tight foils for optical applications

Consistent Supply for Laboratory and Prototyping Environments

Advent Research Materials supplies high-purity gold foils globally to research institutions, semiconductor manufacturers, and microfabrication labs.

Our product range supports both early-stage research, prototyping, and pilot-scale fabrication.

Browse full specifications of our Gold Foil, or contact the team to discuss your application