Stitch Bonding Strength of Cu Wire on AuAg/Pd/Ni Preplated Cu Leadframes: Influence of AuAg Thickness

Copper (Cu) wire bonding on the pre-plated leadframes with Ni/Pd/AuAg plating has been applied extensively in the semiconductor industry for the interconnection of integrated-circuit (IC) packaging due to the lower material cost of Cu and its excellent electrical properties. Furthermore, the Cu wire bonding on the preplated leadframe has advantages, such as the tin whisker prevention and the robust package for automotive application. Nevertheless, a stitch bondability of Cu wire-preplated leadframe is facing several challenges, such as the Cu oxidation, the high hardness of Cu wire and the very thin AuAg plating on the leadframes. This paper discusses the effect of AuAg plating thickness in roughened pre-plated leadframe on the stitch bonding of Cu wires with the leadframe. The stitch bonding integrity was assessed using Dage 4000 shear/pull tool at a key wire bond responses of stitch pull at time zero (T0). Results show that the stitch pull strength of the Cu-leadframe stitch bonding increases with the increase thickness of AuAg layer. FESEM images of the stitch bonding between the Cu wires and the pre-plated leadframes of different AuAg plating thickness did not show any defect in microstructures, thus it suggests that the bonding property is determined by diffusion mechanism at the Cu wire/AuAg stitch bonding interface. Finally, a brief discussion is provided on the stitch bondability of high performance Au-flashed palladium-coated copper wires on the pre-plated leadframe with different AuAg thickness

Review of Direct Metal Bonding for Microelectronic Interconnections

Microelectronic interconnections require advanced joining techniques. Direct metal bonding methods, which include thercomsonic and thermocompression bonding, offer remarkable advantages over soldering and adhesives joining. These processes are reviewed in this paper. The progress made in this area is outlined. Some work concerned with the bonding modeling is also presented. This model is based on the joint interface mechanics resulting from compression. Both bump and substrate deformation are taken into account. The improved understanding of the relationship between the deformation and bonding formation may provide more accurate joint evaluation criterion.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Body of Knowledge (BOK) for Copper Wire Bonds

Copper wire bonds have replaced gold wire bonds in the majority of commercial semiconductor devices for the latest technology nodes. Although economics has been the driving mechanism to lower semiconductor packaging costs for a savings of about 20% by replacing gold wire bonds with copper, copper also has materials property advantages over gold. When compared to gold, copper has approximately: 25% lower electrical resistivity, 30% higher thermal conductivity, 75% higher tensile strength and 45% higher modulus of elasticity. Copper wire bonds on aluminum bond pads are also more mechanically robust over time and elevated temperature due to the slower intermetallic formation rate - approximately 1/100th that of the gold to aluminum intermetallic formation rate. However, there are significant tradeoffs with copper wire bonding - copper has twice the hardness of gold which results in a narrower bonding manufacturing process window and requires that the semiconductor companies design more mechanically rigid bonding pads to prevent cratering to both the bond pad and underlying chip structure. Furthermore, copper is significantly more prone to corrosion issues. The semiconductor packaging industry has responded to this corrosion concern by creating a palladium coated copper bonding wire, which is more corrosion resistant than pure copper bonding wire. Also, the selection of the device molding compound is critical because use of environmentally friendly green compounds can result in internal CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) mismatches with the copper wire bonds that can eventually lead to device failures during thermal cycling. Despite the difficult problems associated with the changeover to copper bonding wire, there are billions of copper wire bonded devices delivered annually to customers. It is noteworthy that Texas Instruments announced in October of 2014 that they are shipping microcircuits containing copper wire bonds for safety critical automotive applications. An evaluation of copper wire bond technology for applicability to spaceflight hardware may be warranted along with concurrently compiling a comprehensive understanding of the failure mechanisms involved with copper wire bonded semiconductor devices

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Mechanical Aspects of the Stitch Bonding Process in Microelectronic Wire Bonding

The goal of this thesis is to improve the understanding of the stitch bonding process in microelectronic wire bonding. In particular, it focuses on investigating the effect of the process parameters bonding force, scrub amplitude, and skid on experimental bond quality responses, including qualitative (non-sticking, sticking, and tail-lifting) and quantitative (stitch pull force, tail pull force). In addition to the experimental work, a finite element (FE) model is developed for the stitch bonding process using ABAQUS software, and compared with the experimental observations. For the first set of experiments, the stitch bonding is performed with a 18 μm diameter Pd coated Cu (PCC) wire on a “low bondability” Au/Ni/Pd plated quad-flat non-lead (QFN) substrate. Results showed that a high bonding force, a high scrub amplitude, and a positive skid provoke the sticking of the stitch bond and reducing the chance of non-sticking observation. However, such parameters also increase the chance of tail-lifting. As a trade-off for a low bondability substrate, a process parameter combination containing a high bonding force and a high scrub amplitude and a negative skid could ensure a strong enough stitch bonding process with low chance of tail-lifting. For the second set of experiments, the stitch bonding is performed with a 18 μm diameter uncoated Cu wire on a “high bondability” Ag plated QFN substrate. Statistical analysis of stitch and tail pull force showed that the skid and scrub parameters have a more significant influence than bonding force. A positive skid can degrade the stitch pull force, while enhancing the tail pull force. A high scrub amplitude is found to degrade both the stitch and the tail pull forces. The bonding force is shown to improve the stitch and tail pull forces slightly. Performing an optimization, process parameters of 70 gf (687 mN) bonding force, 3 μm scrub amplitude, and zero skid result in acceptable stitch and tail pull forces, along with a reliable stitch bond appearance (low peeling and shallow capillary tool impression). The influence of the process parameters is significantly different depending on if bonding on low or high bondability substrates. For example, a positive skid increases the chances of sticking and tail-lifting on low bondability substrate, but it decreases the tail pull force and increases the tail pull force for high bondability substrate. This indicates that finding a general experimental rule for understanding the effect of process parameters on the stitch bond quality is difficult if not impossible. In other words, instead of general rule, it is more likely to find individual rules for specific individual applications. To improve the understanding of stitch bonding a three dimensional (3D) dynamic explicit FE model is developed in ABAQUS. The model components and boundary conditions are constructed and applied to reflect the experimental conditions. The bonding force, scrub, and skid are successfully implemented into the model. Mass scaling is applied carefully to save calculation time while ensuring there are no artificial effects of inertia. The model is able to render the conventional responses reported in the past including stress and strain distributions. However, these conventional outputs were not sufficient to provide a correlation between model and experiment. Therefore, new candidate responses were developed and extracted from the numerical results. The new responses are based on accepted welding mechanisms. One of the mechanisms is interfacial cleaning by frictional energy which is beneficial for bonding. Thus the friction energy accumulated during the simulated bond duration is extracted as a candidate response. For classical cold welding processes, the interfacial surface expansion is a key mechanism, as it opens up cracks in the surface contamination and oxide layers and thereby generates paths to bring the fresh metals together under pressure. Therefore, candidate responses related to surface expansion at the contact interface are extracted from the model. The complete set of new responses extracted from the numerical model includes contact areas, surface expansion per areas, frictional energy, and combination of frictional energy combined with surface expansions per areas. In addition the bond interface is divided into “wedge” and “tail” regions. The model is run for the same DOE cells as used in the first set of experiments and candidate responses are extracted and compared with the experimental observations. By ranking the correlation coefficients of each individual candidate responses, for the first time correlations that are relatively strong are found between a numerical response and experimental observations of stitch bonding. Responses that have correlation coefficients of 0.79 and 0.85 were found for wedge sticking and tail-lifting, respectively. Such relatively strong correlation indicates that the friction enhanced cleaning and the surface expansion mechanisms are proper theories for the current stitch bonding system. These theories can be used for developing similar models for other types of the solid-state bonding processes. Based on the best candidate responses, a procedure to determine numerical process windows is demonstrated for a specific application. Such a window defines the parameter ranges which result in an acceptable stitch bonding process and is an excellent indication of how suitable a process is for mass production. Depending on the application, materials, geometries, and tools, the FE model and process window procedure allow a variety of numerical process windows to be produced and compared.1 yea

Stitch Bond Process of Pd-Coated Cu Wire: Experimental and Numerical Studies of Process Parameters and Materials

Cost reduction is the main driver in the recent transition to Cu wire bonding from predominate Au wire bonding. Other cost reduction in packaging comes from new developments in substrates and lead frames, for example, Pre-Plated Frames (PPF) and uPPF for QFP and QFN reduce the plating and material cost. However, 2nd bonds (stitch bonds) can be more challenging on some of the new leadframe types due to the rough surface finish and thin plating thickness. Pd-coated Cu (PCC) wire has been recently introduced to improve the wire bonding process with bare CU wire, mainly to improve reliability and enhance the stitch bond process. More fundamental studies are required to understand the influences of bonding parameters and bonding tools to improve stitch bondability. The stitch bond process of 0.7 mil diameter PCC wire on Au/Ni/Pd-plated quad flat-no lead (QFN) PPF substrate is investigated in this study. Two capillaries with the same geometry but different surface finishes are used to investigate the effect of capillary surface finish on the stitch bond process. The two capillary types are a polished finish type which is commonly used for Au wire bonding, and a granular finish capillary that has a much rougher surface finish. Process window between no stick on lead (NSOL) and short tail is compared. The effect of process parameters including bond force and table scrub amplitude is studied. The process window test results revealed that the granular capillary has larger process window and a lower chance of short tail occurrence. It has been shown that a higher scrub amplitude increases the chance of successful stitch bond formation. To further compare the capillary surface finishes, 3 sets of parameter settings with different bond force and scrub amplitude are tested. For all three parameter sets tested, the granular capillary showed better quality in bond strength. The granular capillary resulted in higher stitch pull strength compared to the polished type. A finite element model (FEM) of the process was developed to better understand the experimental observations. The amount of surface expansion (plastic deformation) of the wire at the wire and substrate interface was extracted from the model and attributed to the degree of adhesion (bonding). The model was used to confirm the experimental observation of adhesion (bonding) with different surface finish

Integral Glass Encapsulation for Solar Arrays

Work reported was performed during the period from August 1977 to December 1978. The program objective was to continue the development of electrostatic bonding (ESB) as an encapsulation technique for terrestrial cells. Economic analyses shows that this process can be a cost-effective method of producing reliable, long lifetime solar modules. When considered in sufficient volume, both material and equipment costs are competitive with conventional encapsulation systems. In addition, the possibility of integrating cell fabrication into the encapsulation process, as in the case of the preformed cell contacts discussed in this report, offers the potential of significant overall systems cost reduction

Process Quality Improvement in Thermosonic Wire Bonding

This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of methods developed to increase the quality of the crescent bond together with the tail bond quality. Low pull force of the crescent bond limits the usage of insulated Au wire in microelectronics assembly. Premature break of the tail which results in the stoppage of the bonding machine is one of obstacles to overcome for Cu wire. The primary focus of this thesis is to understand the tail and crescent bonding process and then to propose methodologies to improve thermosonic wire bonding processes when Cu and insulated Au wires are used. Several series of experiments to investigate the crescent and tail bonding processes are performed on auto bonders. Cu and insulated Au wires with diameters of 25mm are bonded on the diepads of Ag leadframes. For simplicity, wire loops are oriented perpendicular to the ultrasonic direction. It was found that the crescent bond breaking force by pulling the wire loop (pull force) with insulated Au wire is about 80 % of that of bare Au wire. A modification of the crescent bonding process is made to increase the pull force with insulated Au wire. In the modified process, an insulation layer removing stage (cleaning stage) is inserted before the bonding stage. The cleaning stage consists of a scratching motion (shift) toward to the ball bond in combination with ultrasound. Bonds are then made on the fresh diepad with the insulation removed from the contact surface of the insulated Au wire. This process increases the pull force of the crescent bond up to 26% which makes it comparable to the results obtained with bare Au wire. An online tail breaking force measurement method is developed with a proximity sensor between wire clamp and horn. Detailed understanding of tail bond formation is achieved by studying tail bond imprints with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. Descriptions are given of the dependence of the tail breaking force on the bonding parameters, metallization variation, and cleanliness of the bond pad. Simultaneous optimization with pull force and tail breaking force can optimize the Cu wire bonding process both with high quality and robustness. It is recommended to first carry out conventional pull force optimization followed by a minimization of the bonding force parameter to the lowest value still fulfilling the pull force cpk requirement. The tail bond forms not only under the capillary chamfer, but also under the capillary hole. The tail breaking force includes both the interfacial bond breaking strength and the breaking strength of the thinned portion of the wire that will remain at the substrate as residue. Close investigations of the tail bond imprint with scanning electron microscopy indicate the presence of fractures of the substrate indicating substrate material being picked up by Cu wire tail. Pick up is found on Au and Cu wires, but the amount of pick up is much larger on Cu wire. The effect on the hardness of the subsequently formed Cu free air ball (FAB) as investigated with scanning electron microscopy and micro - hardness test shows that Cu FABs containing Au and Ag pick ups are softer than those without pick up. However, the hardness varies significantly more with Au pick up. The amount of Au pick up is estimated higher than 0.03 % of the subsequently formed FAB volume, exceeding typical impurity and dopant concentrations (0.01 %) added during manufacturing of the wire

Copper to copper bonding by nano interfaces for fine pitch interconnections and thermal applications

Ever growing demands for portability and functionality have always governed the electronic technology innovations. IC downscaling with Moore s law at IC level and system miniaturization with System-On-Package (SOP) paradigm at system level, have resulted and will continue to result in ultraminiaturized systems with unprecedented functionality at reduced cost. However, system miniaturization poses several electrical and thermal challenges that demand innovative solutions including advanced materials, bonding and assembly techniques. Heterogeneous material and device integration for thermal structures and IC assembly are limited by the bonding technology and the electrical and thermal impedance of the bonding interfaces. Solder - based bonding technology that is prevalent today is a major limitation to future systems. The trend towards miniaturized systems is expected to drive downscaling of IC I/O pad pitches from 40µm to 1- 5µm in future. Solder technology imposes several pitch, processability and cost restrictions at such fine pitches. Furthermore, according to International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS-2006), the supply current in high performance microprocessors is expected to increase to 220 A by 2012. At such supply current, the current density will exceed the maximum allowable current density of solders. The intrinsic delay and electromigration in solders are other daunting issues that become critical at nanometer sized technology nodes. In addition, formation of intermetallics is also a bottleneck that poses significant mechanical issues. Similarly, thermal power dissipation is growing to unprecedented high with a projected power of 198 W by 2008 (ITRS 2006). Present thermal interfaces are not adequate for such high heat dissipation. Recently, copper based thin film bonding has become a promising approach to address the abovementioned challenges. However, copper-copper direct bonding without using solders has not been studied thoroughly. Typically, bonding is carried out at 400oC for 30 min followed by annealing for 30 min. High thermal budget in such process makes it less attractive for integrated systems because of the associated process incompatibilities. Hence, there is a need to develop a novel low temperature copper to copper bonding process. In the present study, nanomaterials - based copper-to-copper bonding is explored and developed as an alternative to solder-based bonding. To demonstrate fine pitch bonding, the patterning of these nanoparticles is crucial. Therefore, two novel self-patterning techniques based on: 1.) Selective wetting and 2.) Selective nanoparticle deposition, are developed to address this challenge. Nanoparticle active layer facilitates diffusion and, thus, a reliable bond can be achieved using less thermal budget. Quantitative characterization of the bonding revealed good metallurgical bonding with very high bond strength. This has been confirmed by several morphological and structural characterizations. A 30-micron pitch IC assembly test vehicle is used to demonstrate fine pitch patternability and bonding. In conclusion, novel nanoparticle synthesis and patterning techniques were developed and demonstrated for low-impedance and low-cost electrical and thermal interfaces.M.S.Committee Chair: Rao R. Tummala; Committee Member: C. P. Wong; Committee Member: P. M. Ra

Advances in nanomaterials integration in CMOS-based electrochemical sensors: a review

The monolithic integration of electrochemical sensors with instrumentation electronics on semiconductor technology is a promising approach to achieve sensor scalability, miniaturization and increased signal to noise ratio. Such an integration requires post-process modification of microchips (or wafers) fabricated in standard semiconductor technology (e.g. CMOS) to develop sensitive and selective sensing electrodes. This review focuses on the post-process fabrication techniques for addition of nanomaterials to the electrode surface, a key component in the construction of electrochemical sensors that has been widely used to achieve surface reactivity and sensitivity. Several CMOS-compatible techniques are summarized and discussed in this review for the deposition of nanomaterials such as gold, platinum, carbon nanotubes, polymers and metal oxide/nitride nanoparticles. These techniques include electroless deposition, electro-chemical deposition, lift-off, micro-spotting, dip-pen lithography, physical adsorption, self-assembly and hydrothermal methods. Finally, the review is concluded and summarized by stating the advantages and disadvantages of these deposition methods

Effects of fiber/matrix interactions on the properties of graphite/epoxy composites

A state-of-the-art literature review of the interactions between fibers and resin within graphite epoxy composite materials was performed. Emphasis centered on: adhesion theory; wetting characteristics of carbon fiber; load transfer mechanisms; methods to evaluate and measure interfacial bond strengths; environmental influence at the interface; and the effect of the interface/interphase on composite performance, with particular attention to impact toughness. In conjunction with the literature review, efforts were made to design experiments to study the wetting behavior of carbon fibers with various finish variants and their effect on adhesion joint strength. The properties of composites with various fiber finishes were measured and compared to the base-line properties of a control. It was shown that by tailoring the interphase properties, a 30% increase in impact toughness was achieved without loss of mechanical properties at both room and elevated temperatures