Fine wire made of a gold alloy, method for its production, and its use

• US 6,242,106 B1
• Filed: 05/05/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heraeus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (Heraeus Holding GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Heraeus Holding GMBH
• Inventors: Reuel, Jürgen, Schräpler, Lutz, Cho, Y. C., Simons, Christoph, Herklotz, Günter
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, John J.
• Application Number:
  US09/305,767
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 428/606, 420/512, 420/508, 420/509, 420/510, 148/678, 148/430, 228/180.5, 228/262.1, 164/462, 298/27, 298/25
• US Class Current: 428/606
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4321 Pulling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/43 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00013 Fully indexed content
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01012 Magnesium [Mg]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01018 Argon [Ar]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0102 Calcium [Ca]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01021 Scandium [Sc]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01024 Chromium [Cr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01025 : Manganese [Mn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01026 : Iron [Fe]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01028 : Nickel [Ni]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0103 : Zinc [Zn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01032 : Germanium [Ge]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01038 : Strontium [Sr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0104 : Zirconium [Zr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01041 : Niobium [Nb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01042 : Molybdenum [Mo]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01044 : Ruthenium [Ru]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01045 : Rhodium [Rh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 : Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0105 : Tin [Sn]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01051 : Antimony [Sb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01056 : Barium [Ba]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 : Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01058 : Cerium [Ce]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01059 : Praseodymium [Pr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0106 : Neodymium [Nd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 : Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01062 : Samarium [Sm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01063 : Europium [Eu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01064 : Gadolinium [Gd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01065 : Terbium [Tb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01066 : Dysprosium [Dy]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01067 : Holmium [Ho]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01068 : Erbium [Er]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01069 : Thulium [Tm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0107 : Ytterbium [Yb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01071 : Lutetium [Lu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01076 : Osmium [Os]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01077 : Iridium [Ir]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 : Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01083 : Bismuth [Bi]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01105 : Rare earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01201 : 1N purity grades, i.e. 90%
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01202 : 2N purity grades, i.e. 99%
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01203 : 3N purity grades, i.e. 99.9%
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01204 : 4N purity grades, i.e. 99.99%
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/013 : Alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/20752 : larger or equal to 20 microns less than 30 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/20753 : larger or equal to 30 microns less than 40 microns
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12431 : Foil or filament smaller than 6 mils

Abstract

A fine wire made of an alloy of gold which contains 0.6 to 2 weight % of nickel, or an alloy of gold which contains 0.1 to 2 weight % of nickel, 0.0001 to 0.1 weight % of alkaline earth metal and/or rare earth metal, and optionally 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of platinum and/or palladium . The fine wire is distinguished by a favorable electrical conductivity and a good ratio of strength to elongation. The fine wire is suitable both for wire bonding of semiconductor devices and for producing the ball bumps of flip-chips.

Claims

1. A fine wire of a gold alloy for bonding semiconductor devices, wherein the gold alloy consists essentially of 0.6 to 2 weight % of nickel, 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, with the remainder being gold.

2. The fine wire in accordance with claim 1, wherein the nickel is in an amount of 0.7 to 1.5 weight %.

3. The fine wire in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wire has a diameter of 10 to 200 μ

m.

4. The fine wire in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wire has a diameter of 20 to 60 μ

m.

11. A method for producing a fine wire according to claim 1 from a gold alloy containing nickel, for bonding semiconductor devices comprising:

(a) melting a gold alloy to provide a molten alloy, said gold alloy selected from the group consisting of (i) a gold alloy consisting essentially of 0.6 to 2 weight % nickel, 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, with the remainder being gold and (ii) a gold alloy consisting essentially of 0.1 to 2 weight % nickel, 0.0001 to 0.1 weight % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal and a rare earth metal, and 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, with the remainder being gold;

(b) continuously casting the molten alloy from step (a) into a strand;

(c) drawing the strand from step (b) into a wire of a diameter for bonding to a superconductor device; and

(d) annealing the wire from step (c).

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein in step (b) the molten alloy is cast into a strand of a circular cross section.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein in step (d) the wire is annealed at a temperature of 300 to 700°

C.

14. A method of bonding a semiconductor device with a wire, comprising bonding a semiconductor device with the fine wire according to claim 1.

15. A method of bonding a superconductor device with a wire for a high-frequency application comprising bonding a superconductor device with the fine wire according to claim 1.

16. A method for connecting a semiconductor device with a wire in a flip-chip technique, comprising connecting a semiconductor device with the fine wire according to claim 1.

5. A fine wire of a gold alloy for bonding semiconductor devices, wherein the gold alloy consists essentially of 0.1 to 2 weight % of nickel, 0.0001 to 0.1 weight % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of an alkaline earth metal and a rare earth metal, and 0.1 to 1.0 weight % of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum and palladium, with the remainder being gold.

6. The fine wire in accordance with claim 5, wherein the nickel is in an amount of 0.7 to 1.5 weight %.

7. The fine wire in accordance with claim 5, wherein the at least one element selected from the group consisting of the alkaline earth metal and the rare earth metal is in an amount of 0.001 to 0.01 weight %.

8. The fine wire in accordance with claim 6, wherein the gold alloy contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of the alkaline earth metal and the rare earth metal in an amount of 0.001 to 0.01 weight %.

9. The fine wire in accordance with claim 5 wherein the alkaline earth metal which is contained in the gold alloy is at least one element selected from the group consisting of beryllium, magnesium and calcium.

10. The fine wire in accordance with claim 5, wherein the rare earth metal which is contained in the gold alloy is cerium.