Getters for Hermetic Packages: Mechanisms, Reliability Impact, and MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions in Practice

MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions offers moisture getters and combined hydrogen-plus-moisture getter formats for hermetic packages used in microelectronics, optics, and sensor assemblies. The portfolio includes STAYDRY H2-3000PSA for combined hydrogen and moisture control and STAYDRY HiCap 2000 for high-capacity moisture control in hermetically sealed electronics, optics, light detection and ranging, and related packages. Official product information describes the getter line as suitable for electronics, optics, micro-electro-mechanical systems, and micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems uses. The broader microelectronics and sensors platform also states that these materials meet Restriction of Hazardous Substances requirements.

Those details matter because production teams rarely want a reliability material that slows assembly. MacDermid Alpha stresses production-friendly forms, including films and pressure-sensitive adhesive-backed formats that can simplify placement and reduce handling steps. The H2-3000PSA datasheet describes a low-outgassing film that stays flexible over a wide heat range. The HiCap 2000 technical data and product page describe an irreversible moisture getter with moisture absorption up to 15% of dry weight and heat stability up to 200°C with minimal weight loss. Together, those details support the practical value story: protection, fit, and easier use in a real assembly flow.

Integration Guidance for Design and Manufacturing

Placement affects performance. Engineers should place the getter where the material has open access to headspace, while avoiding light paths, moving parts, and surfaces that cannot tolerate local stress or contamination. Film formats often work well on lids, sidewalls, or reserved inner surfaces where they do not block function. Paste formats may fit better when package shape needs conformal placement or when the line already uses stencil or dispense steps.

Surface preparation matters as much as product choice. Teams should use controlled cleaning, defined placement pressure, and repeatable alignment, so the getter attaches without changing planarity or adding particles. They should also confirm that the getter and any adhesive system stay compatible with nearby metals, ceramics, glasses, coatings, and seal heat. Material fit is not a small note. It is one of the fastest ways to stop a good getter idea from turning into a factory problem.

Verification should be built into the plan. MIL-STD-883, Method 1014 (Seal) remains a common reference for hermetic seal testing, but seal testing alone does not describe internal gas drift. Teams should pair seal verification with residual gas analysis, internal vapor analysis where needed, and outgassing screens guided by American Society for Testing and Materials E595 practice for total mass loss and collected volatile condensable material. NASA outgassing resources are still useful because they explain how engineers use those data to screen materials for critical service.

Sustainability and Compliance

Sustainability in hermetic packaging starts with durable design, lower scrap, fewer reliability returns, and cleaner material choices that fit global rules. A getter that stabilizes headspace and prevents late failures can reduce replacement demand, rework, and waste across the product lifecycle. In that sense, protection and sustainability support each other. The more reliable the package becomes, the fewer materials, shipments, and service events the program consumes over time.

Compliance also matters because global programs need materials that fit known regulatory frameworks and customer audits. MacDermid Alpha's published microelectronics and sensors information states that these materials meet RoHS requirements, and the company positions its products with care for wider environmental needs. That does not replace a product-specific compliance review, but it does support supplier talks early in the design stage.

Summary

Getters for hermetic packages do more than absorb unwanted gases. They help turn a sealed enclosure into a stable operating space that protects device performance through life. Moisture getters lower the dew point, cut condensation risk, and limit corrosion paths. Hydrogen getters reduce the headspace species that can degrade sensitive semiconductor and photonic structures. When teams combine strong sealing, low-outgassing materials, and a qualified getter sized to the real gas load, they build a more reliable package and a more defensible qualification story.

Early getter selection protects yield, reduces field failures, and shortens the path from prototype learning to production confidence. For quality teams, that means fewer escapes and stronger traceability. For design teams, it provides a better chance of holding performance targets through cycling, aging, and storage. For sourcing and factory leaders, there will be fewer surprises after release and a more stable supply decision.

The next step should also be clear: Review the cavity volume, internal bill of materials, target life, and key headspace limits for your device. Then request the relevant STAYDRY integration note, technical datasheet, and a simple sizing review for the planned package. A pilot plan that includes getter choice, placement, seal verification, residual gas analysis, and dew point tracking will give the team a faster and more reliable path to release.

Failure Mode, Metric, and Getter Choice

A simple mapping step improves communication across design, quality, and sourcing teams. It keeps qualification tied to device physics rather than to generic product claims.

Michael Previti has a Master of Science in Chemistry and a Master of Business Administration. He is director of Microelectronics and Sensors, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions.

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