Coat to conserve

A polymer coating designed to protect electronic components like
microchips has been developed at
the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied
Polymer Research, Germany. The
film -which is about 100 nanometres thick -is produced by electrodeposition in which the amino
resins are broken down chemically
by an electric current.

The polymers are continuously
linked and then hardened until they
produce a microscopically thin but
unbroken electrolytic coating which
is scratch and water-proof and resistant to chemicals. The developers say
the technology can be readily incorporated into microchip manufacture.