Abstract
As semiconductor technology develops, conventional bond wires are reaching the limits of their capability. Industry is demanding finer diameter wire coupled with higher strength, and the retention of this strength at elevated temperatures would be a decided advantage.
It has been demonstrated that a fine wire of the composition Au-lwt.%Ti, which was originally formulated for high carat jewellery, can be endowed with these beneficial properties by appropriate thermomechanical treatments. A three-fold increase in the strength of 25 μm diameter wire over that of conventional gold wire has been achieved. The mechanical properties are stable even when the wire is subjected to heating at 400 °C for over a year.
Wire based on the Au-1wt.%Ti alloy can be made comparable to that of the standard gold products in terms of its electrical properties and bonding characteristics. Moreover, it is more resilient to the demands of the fabrication process.
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Humpston, G., Jacobson, D.M. A new high strength gold bond wire. Gold Bull 25, 132–145 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214723
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03214723