In order to NanoBond® parts that are made out of copper, nickel, or platinum, we must first apply solder to the bonding surface. This is most commonly done by melting solder directly onto the surface while applying SS-42 flux. The flux will strip the surface oxides from the copper, nickel, or platinum, allowing proper intermetallic formation.
Copper is a common sputtering target backing plate material, so this method is used quite often. Aluminum is perhaps an even more popular backing plate material, but it is a bit more difficult to get solder to wet onto it’s surface with flux. No worries though, just read this post regarding how to apply solder to aluminum and aluminum alloys!
* This post is part of the NanoFoil® Do-It-Yourself Tips and Tricks series