Effects of Cu and Pd addition on Au bonding wire/Al pad interfacial reactions and bond reliability

Finer pitch wire bonding technology has been needed since chips have more and finer pitch I/Os. However, finer Au wires are more prone to Au-Al bond reliability and wire sweeping problems when molded with epoxy molding compound. One of the solutions for solving these problems is to add special alloying elements to Au bonding wires. In this study, Cu and Pd were added to Au bonding wire as alloying elements. These alloyed Au bonding wires—Au-1 wt.% Cu wire and Au-1 wt.% Pd wire—were bonded on Al pads and then subsequently aged at 175°C and 200°C. Cu and Pd additions to Au bonding wire slowed down interfacial reactions and crack formation due to the formation of a Cu-rich layer and a Pd-rich layer at the interface. Wire pull testing (WPT) after thermal aging showed that Cu and Pd addition enhanced bond reliability, and Cu was more effective for improving bond reliability than Pd. In addition, comparison between the results of observation of interfacial reactions and WPT proved that crack formation was an important factor to evaluate bond reliability.     

Role of process parameters on bondability and pad damage indicators in copper ball bonding

Cu wire bonding is one of the hottest trends in electronic packaging due to the cost and performance advantages of Cu wire over Au wire. However, there are many challenges to Cu wire bonding, one of which is the increased stress transmitted to the bond pad during bonding. This high stress is not desirable as it leads to pad damage or cratering in the Si under the pad. Another issue is pad splash in which the pad material is squeezed outside the bonded area, which in severe cases can cause Al pad thinning and depletion. To study the root cause of the increased stress, ball bonding is performed with Au and Cu wires using the same levels of ultrasound (USG), bonding force (BF), and impact force (IF). The bonding is performed on a bonding test pad with integrated piezoresistive microsensors and the in situ pad stress is measured in real time. The ultrasonic pad stress did not show any significant difference between the Au and the Cu ball bonding processes. This indicates that the cause of increased stress cannot be attributed to material properties such as hardness alone, and that the differences in bondability and bonding parameters required for the Cu process might be more influential. To achieve optimal bonding results in terms of shear force per unit area, the Cu process requires higher BF and USG settings, which are the main causes of pad damage. To understand the effect of bonding parameters IF, BF, and USG on pad stress, a detailed DOE is conducted with Cu wire. In addition to conventional bonding parameters, the effect of a non-zero USG level applied during the impact portion of the bonding (pre-bleed USG) is investigated. One of the findings is the reduction of pad damage when higher pre-bleed USG levels are used.     

Growth behavior of Cu/Al intermetallic compounds and cracks in copper ball bonds during isothermal aging

Copper wires are increasingly used in place of gold wires for making bonded interconnections in microelectronics. There are many potential benefits for use of copper in these applications, including better electrical and mechanical properties, and lower cost. Usually, wires are bonded to aluminum contact pads. However, the growth of Cu/Al intermetallic compounds (IMC) at the wire/pad interfaces is poorly understood, and if excessive would increase the contact resistance and degrade the bond reliability.To study the Cu/Al IMC growth in Cu ball bonds, high temperature aging at 250 °C for up to 196 h has been used to accelerate the aging process of the bonds. The Cu/Al IMCs growth behavior was then recorded and the IMC formation rate of 6.2 ± 1.7 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm²/s was obtained. In addition to the conventional yz-plane cross-section perpendicular to the bonding interface, a xy-plane cross-section parallel through the interfacial layers is reported. Three IMC layers were distinguished at the Cu/Al interfaces by their different colors under optical microscopy on the xy-plane cross-sections of ball bonds. The results of micro-XRD analysis confirmed that Cu₉Al₄, and CuAl₂ were the main IMC products, while a third phase is found which possibly is CuAl. During the aging process, IMC film growth starts from the periphery of the bond and propagates inward towards the centre area. Subsequently, with increased aging time, cavities are observed to develop between the IMC layer and the Cu ball surface, also starting at the bond periphery. The cavitation eventually links up and progresses toward the centre area leading to a nearly complete fracture between the ball and the intermetallic layer, as observed after 81 h.     

Effect of cooling rate on growth of the intermetallic compound and fracture mode of near-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu/Cu pad: Before and after aging

Several near-eutectic solders of (1) Sn-3.5Ag, (2) Sn-3.0Ag-0.7Cu, (3) Sn-3.0Ag-1.5Cu, (4) Sn-3.7Ag-0.9Cu, and (5) Sn-6.0Ag-0.5Cu (in wt.% unless specified otherwise) were cooled at different rates after reflow soldering on the Cu pad above 250°C for 60 sec. Three different media of cooling were used to control cooling rates: fast water quenching, medium cooling on an aluminum block, and slow cooling in furnace. Both the solder composition and cooling rate after reflow have a significant effect on the intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness (mainly Cu₆Sn₅). Under fixed cooling condition, alloys (1), (3), and (5) revealed larger IMC thicknesses than that of alloys (2) and (4). Slow cooling produced an IMC buildup of thicker than 10 μm, while medium and fast cooling produced a thickness of thinner than 5 μm. The inverse relationship between IMC thickness and shear strength was confirmed. All the fast- and medium-cooled joints revealed a ductile mode (fracture surface was composed of the β-Sn phase), while the slow-cooled joints were fractured in a brittle mode (fracture surface was composed of Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn phases). The effect of isothermal aging at 130°C on the growth of the IMC, shear strength, and fracture mode is also reported.     

Solid-state intermetallic compound layer growth between copper and 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu solder

Long-term, solid-state intermetallic compound (IMC) layer growth was examined in 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu (wt.%)/copper (Cu) couples. Aging temperatures and times ranged from 70°C to 205°C and from 1 day to 400 days, respectively. The IMC layer thicknesses and compositions were compared to those investigated in 96.5Sn-3.5Ag/Cu, 95.5Sn-0.5Ag-4.0Cu/Cu, and 100Sn/Cu couples. The nominal Cu₃Sn and Cu₆Sn₅ stoichiometries were observed. The Cu₃Sn layer accounted for 0.4–0.6 of the total IMC layer thickness. The 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu/Cu couples exhibited porosity development at the Cu₃Sn/Cu interface and in the Cu₃Sn layer as well as localized “plumes” of accelerated Cu₃Sn growth into the Cu substrate when aged at 205°C and t>150 days. An excess of 3–5at.%Cu in the near-interface solder field likely contributed to IMC layer growth. The growth kinetics of the IMC layer in 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu/Cu couples were described by the equation x=x_o+Atⁿexp [−ΔH/RT]. The time exponents, n, were 0.56±0.06, 0.54±0.07, and 0.58±0.07 for the Cu₃Sn layer, the Cu₆Sn₅, and the total layer, respectively, indicating a diffusion-based mechanism. The apparent-activation energies (ΔH) were Cu₃Sn layer: 50±6 kJ/mol; Cu₆Sn₅ layer: 44±4 kJ/mol; and total layer: 50±4 kJ/mol, which suggested a fast-diffusion path along grain boundaries. The kinetics of Cu₃Sn growth were sensitive to the Pb-free solder composition while those of Cu₆Sn₅ layer growth were not so.     

Effects of metallization characteristics on gold wire bondability of organic printed circuit boards

Organic printed circuit boards (PCBs) with Au/Ni plates on bond pads are widely used in chip-on-board (COB), ball grid array (BGA), and chip-scale packages. These packages are interconnected using thermosonic gold wire bonding. The wire bond yield relies on the bondability of the Ni/Au pads. Several metallization parameters, including elemental composition, thickness, hardness, roughness, and surface contamination, affect the success of the solid state joining process. In this study, various characterization and mechanical testing techniques are employed to evaluate these parameters for different metallization schemes with varying Ni and Au layer thicknesses. The pull force of Au wires is measured as a function of plasma treatment applied before wire bonding to clean the bond pads. Close correlations are established between metallization characteristics and wire bond quality.     

Spontaneous, non-aqueous electrochemical deposition of copper and palladium on Al and Al(Cu) thin films

Copper and palladium seed layers have been successfully deposited from organic solutions onto patterned and unpatterned pure aluminum and Al(0.5%Cu) thin films using an immersion displacement process. The reaction occurs at ambient temperature and pressure by a spontaneous electrochemical mechanism. Copper and palladium deposition using the organic solution was studied as a function of reaction time and Cu or Pd concentration in the solution. It was found that both time and the intial ionic metal concentration significantly influence deposit morphology, particle size and shape, and adherence. Nucleation of Cu or Pd sub-micron particles on both Al and Al(Cu) surfaces occurred in less than one minute while nucleation density and particle size increased with longer deposition times. Increasing the copper or palladium concentration in the organic solution resulted in an increase in the final particle size of the seed crystals. However, an increase in deposition time and metal concentration in the organic solution caused more extensive dissolution and pitting of the aluminum thin films. The Cu and Pd deposits were effectively used as catalytic sites for subsequent electroless or electrolytic copper deposition using conventional aqueous processes.     

Interaction of intermetallic compound formation in Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joints

The interaction between Cu/solder interface and solder/Ni interface at a Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joint with various surface finishes and solder heights was investigated. The interfacial microstructure and composition of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The phase structure of IMC was identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that ternary (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMCs form at both interfaces. The composition, thickness, and morphology of the ternary IMCs depend not only on the interface itself, but also on the opposite interface. That is to say, strong coupling effects exist between the two interfaces. Lattice parameters of (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ shrink with increasing Ni content, in agreement with Vegard’s law. The mechanism of ternary IMC formation and interface coupling effects are discussed in this paper.     

Effects of the intermetallic compound microstructure on the tensile behavior of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu solder joint under various strain rates

The effects of the intermetallic compound (IMC) microstructure and the strain rate on the tensile strength and failure mode of Pb-free solder joints are investigated. The samples of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu solder joints are aged isothermally at 150 °C for 0, 72, 288 and 500 h, and the thickness of the IMC layer and the roughness of the solder/IMC interface are measured and used to characterize the microstructure evolution of the IMC layer. The tensile tests of the aged solder joints are conducted under the strain rates of 2 × 10⁻⁴, 2 × 10⁻² and 2 s⁻¹. The results indicate that both the thickness and roughness of the IMC layer have influence on the strength and failure mode of the solder joint. With the increase of the aging time, the thickness of the IMC layer increases and the roughness of the solder/IMC interface decreases, as a result, the tensile strength of the solder joint decreases and the dominant failure mode migrates from the ductile fracture in the bulk solder to the brittle fracture in the IMC layer. There is a positive correlation between the tensile strength of the solder joint and the stain rate applied during the test. With the increase of the strain rate, the failure mode migrates from the ductile fracture in the bulk solder to the brittle fracture in the IMC layer.     

Effect of intermetallic compound formation on electrical properties of Cu/Sn interface during thermal treatment

Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn intermetallic compounds are commonly found in the Sn-Cu bimetallic system. Due to the distinct resistivity of these two compounds, the electrical properties of Cu/Sn interfaces, e.g., solder joints on Cu metallization, may be impacted by the formation of Cu-Sn compounds. In this study, the kinetics of Sn-Cu compound formation was investigated by in-situ resistivity measurement, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interfacial reaction of the Cu-Sn bimetallic thin film specimen was monitored by the resistivity change of the specimen during thermal treatment. The activation energy of formation of Cu-Sn compounds was determined to be 0.97±0.07 eV. It is proposed that the Cu₆Sn₅ compound first forms at Sn/Cu interfaces and then reacts with Cu, forming the Cu₃Sn compound at elevated temperatures during the thermal ramping process. The effect of thin film thickness on the sequential formation of Sn-Cu compounds is also discussed.     

The effect of intermetallic compound morphology on Cu diffusion in Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solder bump on the Ni/Cu Under-bump metallization

The eutectic Sn-Ag solder alloy is one of the candidates for the Pb-free solder, and Sn-Pb solder alloys are still widely used in today’s electronic packages. In this tudy, the interfacial reaction in the eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solder joints was investigated with an assembly of a solder/Ni/Cu/Ti/Si₃N₄/Si multilayer structures. In the Sn-3.5Ag solder joints reflowed at 260°C, only the (Ni_1−x,Cu_x)₃Sn₄ intermetallic compound (IMC) formed at the solder/Ni interface. For the Sn-37Pb solder reflowed at 225°C for one to ten cycles, only the (Ni_1−x,Cu_x)₃Sn₄ IMC formed between the solder and the Ni/Cu under-bump metallization (UBM). Nevertheless, the (Cu_1−y,Ni_y)₆Sn₅ IMC was observed in joints reflowed at 245°C after five cycles and at 265°C after three cycles. With the aid of microstructure evolution, quantitative analysis, and elemental distribution between the solder and Ni/Cu UBM, it was revealed that Cu content in the solder near the solder/IMC interface played an important role in the formation of the (Cu_1−y,Ni_y)₆Sn₅ IMC. In addition, the diffusion behavior of Cu in eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solders with the Ni/Cu UBM were probed and discussed. The atomic flux of Cu diffused through Ni was evaluated by detailed quantitative analysis in an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). During reflow, the atomic flux of Cu was on the order of 10¹⁶−10¹⁷ atoms/cm²sec in both the eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb systems.     

Soldering-induced Cu diffusion and intermetallic compound formation between Ni/Cu under bump metallization and SnPb flip-chip solder bumps

Nickel-based under bump metallization (UBM) has been widely used as a diffusion barrier to prevent the rapid reaction between the Cu conductor and Sn-based solders. In this study, joints with and without solder after heat treatments were employed to evaluate the diffusion behavior of Cu in the 63Sn-37Pb/Ni/Cu/Ti/Si₃N₄/Si multilayer structure. The atomic flux of Cu diffused through Ni was evaluated from the concentration profiles of Cu in solder joints. During reflow, the atomic flux of Cu was on the order of 10¹⁵–10¹⁶ atoms/cm²s. However, in the assembly without solder, no Cu was detected on the surface of Ni even after ten cycles of reflow. The diffusion behavior of Cu during heat treatments was studied, and the soldering-process-induced Cu diffusion through Ni metallization was characterized. In addition, the effect of Cu content in the solder near the solder/intermetallic compound (IMC) interface on interfacial reactions between the solder and the Ni/Cu UBM was also discussed. It is evident that the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC might form as the concentration of Cu in the Sn-Cu-Ni alloy exceeds 0.6 wt.%.     

Ohmic and rectifier properties of Al/Ligand(N-APTH) and Al/Cu(II)Complex contacts

We have produced a Ligand(N-APTH) and Cu(II)Complex of bidentate ligand containing a ring of the pyrimidine. Optical transmission measurements of the Ligand(N-APTH) and Cu(II)Complex thin films were performed by using a UV-Visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer. From the optical measurements, it was seen that the materials show semiconductor behaviors giving appropriate bandgaps with the values of 3.15 eV and 2.36 eV for Ligand(N-APTH) and Cu(II)Complex, respectively. With the pre-assumption that the material may exhibit a rectifier or ohmic behavior when it is brought into an appropriate contact with a metal, an attempt to explore the rectifying and ohmic properties of Al/Ligand(N-APTH)/Cu and Al/Cu(II)Complex/Cu contacts was made. As a result of current-voltage (I-V) measurements, it was discovered that the devices show excellent rectifier properties with a rectification ratio of about 10⁻³ for Al/Ligand(N-APTH)/Cu and 10⁻⁵ for Al/Cu(II)Complex/Cu rectifier contacts, respectively.     

Growth of an intermetallic compound layer with Sn-3.5Ag-5Bi on Cu and Ni-P/Cu during aging treatment

Growth kinetics of intermetallic compound (IMC) layers formed between the Sn-3.5Ag-5Bi solder and the Cu and electroless Ni-P substrates were investigated at temperatures ranging from 70°C to 200°C for 0–60 days. With the solder joints between the Sn-Ag-Bi solder and Cu substrates, the IMC layer consisted of two phases: the Cu₆Sn₅ (η phase) adjacent to the solder and the Cu₃Sn (ε phase) adjacent to the Cu substrate. In the case of the electroless Ni-P substrate, the IMC formed at the interface was mainly Ni₃Sn₄, and a P-rich Ni (Ni₃P) layer was also observed as a by-product of the Ni-Sn reaction, which was between the Ni₃Sn₄ IMC and the electroless Ni-P deposit layer. With all the intermetallic layers, time exponent (n) was approximately 0.5, suggesting a diffusion-controlled mechanism over the temperature range studied. The interface between electroless Ni-P and Ni₃P was planar, and the time exponent for the Ni₃P layer growth was also 0.5. The Ni₃P layer thickness reached about 2.5 μm after 60 days of aging at 170°C. The activation energies for the growth of the total Cu-Sn compound layer (Cu₆Sn₅ + Cu₃Sn) and the Ni₃Sn₄ IMC were 88.6 kJ/mol and 52.85 kJ/mol, respectively.     

Reduction of ultrasonic pad stress and aluminum splash in copper ball bonding

Given the cost and performance advantages associated with Cu wire, it is being increasingly seen as a candidate to replace Au wire for making interconnections in first level microelectronics packaging. A Cu ball bonding process is optimized with reduced pad stress and splash, using a 25.4 μm diameter Cu wire. For ball bonds made with conventionally optimized bond force and ultrasonic settings, the shear strength is ≈140 MPa. The amount of splash extruding out of bonded ball interface is between 10 and 12 μm. It can be reduced to 3-7 μm if accepting a shear strength reduction to 50-70 MPa. For excessive ultrasonic settings, elliptical shaped Cu bonded balls are observed, with the minor axis of the ellipse in the ultrasonic direction and the major axis perpendicular to the ultrasonic direction. To quantify the direct effect of bond force and ultrasound settings on pad stress, test pads with piezoresistive microsensors integrated next to the pad and the real-time ultrasonic force signals are used. By using a lower value of bond force combined with a reduced ultrasound level, the pad stress can be reduced by 30% while achieving an average shear strength of at least 120 MPa. These process settings also aid in reducing the amount of splash by 4.3 μm.     

Footprint study of ultrasonic wedge-bonding with aluminum wire on copper substrate

The effects of the process parameters of ultrasonic power and normal bonding force on bond formation at ambient temperatures have been investigated with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis. A model was developed based on classical microslip theory¹ to explain the general phenomena observed in the evolution of bond footprints left on the substrate. Modifications to the model are made due to the inherent differences in geometry between ball-bonding and wedge-bonding. Classical microslip theory describes circular contacts undergoing elastic deformation. It is shown in this work that a similar microslip phenomenon occurs for elliptical wire-to-flat contacts with plastically deformed wire. It is shown that relative motion exists at the bonding interface as peripheral microslip at lower powers, transitioning into gross sliding at higher powers. With increased normal bonding forces, the transition point into gross sliding occurs at higher ultrasonic bonding powers. These results indicate that the bonding mechanisms in aluminum wire wedge-bonding are very similar to those of gold ball-bonding, both on copper substrate. In ultrasonic wedge-bonding onto copper substrates, the ultrasonic energy is essential in forming bonding by creating relative interfacial motion, which removes the surface oxides.     

Cu wire bond parameter optimization on various bond pad metallization and barrier layer material schemes

The use of copper wire for semiconductor package assembly has been gradually gaining acceptance throughout the industry over the last decade. Although copper has several advantages over gold for wire bonding applications, the manufacturing difficulties using copper wire have made high volume, fine pitch copper bonding slow to materialize. In recent years with the spike in gold prices, copper wire has become even more attractive, and this has driven many studies on the topic.Due to the propensity for copper to work harden upon deformation, which occurs during the ball bonding process as the capillary tip smashes the ball into the bond pad, a high amount of stress is transferred into the bond pad structure. This can result in catastrophic defects such as dielectric cracking or pad cratering. The current study aims to quantify the level of underlying bond pad damage with respect to various bond pad metallization and barrier layer schemes. A first bond parameter optimization was completed on each experimental group. The results indicate that barrier layer structure and composition have a significant impact on the presence of pad cratering. The experimental group containing only TiN as the barrier material showed a high occurrence of cratering, while groups with Ti and TiW barrier metals showed no cratering, even if a TiN layer was on top of the Ti. The bond pad metal thickness, on the other hand, does not appear to play a significant role in the prevention of bond pad cratering. Metal thickness values ranging from 0.825 to 2.025 μm were evaluated, and none had bond pad cratering other than the group with TiN as the barrier metal. In addition to the first bond parameter evaluations with various bond pad and barrier metal combinations, the initial free air ball (FAB) optimization is discussed.     

The effect of Pd and Cu in the intermetallic growth of alloy Au wire

This is the new wire evaluation work for the reliability of the wire-bonding process. There is a trend for the plastic integrated-circuit package to function at higher junction temperature with thinner wire. New alloy Au wires have been developed to meet the reliability requirements. Two types of alloy Au wires, Au-Pd and Au-Cu, were evaluated in this study. These samples were aged between 155°C and 205°C under air from 0 h to 3,000 h. According to this study, the phase-formation sequence of Au₂Al, Au₅Al₂, and Au₄Al intermetallic is similar to the pure Au wire. There is a Pd-rich layer working as a diffusion barrier to slow down the growth rate of intermetallic phases in the Au-Pd wire. The Au-Cu wire also slowed down the growth rate with a different mechanism. Both wires have better reliability based on the microstructure examination. The reliability test results show longer working life at higher temperatures in comparison with the regular Au wire.     

Thermal Aging Effects on Cu Ball Shear Strength and Cu/Al Intermetallic Growth

Intermetallic growth and ball shear behavior of annealed Cu wire bonds on Al have been studied. The shear strength of Cu ball bonds decreased with time, and ductile fracture was the dominant failure mode from 125°C to 150°C. Al pad peel-off occurred as the aging temperature was increased above 150°C. The overall Cu/Al intermetallic thickness exhibited parabolic behavior as a function of time. A linear correlation was established between ball shear strength, metal peel-off occurrence, and intermetallic growth. The Cu/Al intermetallic growth activation energy was 0.23 eV, and the intermetallics identified in the experiment were CuAl₂ and CuAl.     

La对SnAgCu/Cu及Ni界面金属间化合物的影响

利用扫描电镜、能谱分析仪对Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu-xLa/Cu(x=0～0.25)和Ni界面金属间化合物(IMC)形成及长大规律进行了研究.结果表明:微量La的添加使钎焊与时效后焊点/Cu界面生成的Cu<,6>Sn<,5>晶粒明显细化,当X超过0.10时,Cu<,6>Sn<,5>晶粒的上方出现大量的粒状Ag<,3>S...