Mechanical reliability of Au and Cu wire bonds to Al, Ni/Au and Ni/Pd/Au capped Cu bond pads

This work is an assessment of the mechanical reliability of Au and Cu ball bonds to Al, Ni/Au and Ni/Pd/Au surfaces in terms of high temperature storage. All systems show very good shear strength after thermal storage for up to 120 days at 150 C. The Au ball bonds on Al surface show Kirkendall voiding starting from 60 days. This did not decrease their mechanical strength but it is expected to become a reliability issue in the long run. The Cu wire bonds on Al caps show a higher initial strength, much slower intermetallics formation and no Kirkendall voiding. This makes them a potentially better industrial solution. Excellent bond strength was found for Cu- and Au-bonds on Ni/Au and Ni/Pd/Au caps. No intermetallics formation or other microstructural change have been found on these interfaces up to 120 days at 150 C, which was related to the full solubility of the materials along these interfaces. This result suggests that they can be a successful industrial solution for the next generation of packages. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.