Improved cost management with gold alternatives
![Interconnects on a chip](https://amkormarcomexternal.blob.core.windows.net/amkordotcom/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Interconnect.png)
Silver (Ag) alloy and Copper, Palladium Coated Copper (PCC) wires have emerged as alternatives to gold bond wires. Silver alloy offers properties like those of gold with a cost similar to PCC. Copper wire offers a significant cost advantage over gold and is an excellent replacement due to similar electrical properties.
Silver Alloy Wirebond Key
Features & Benefits
- Ag-Alloy wire is softer than Cu wire resulting in lower Al-Splash and lower risk of bond pad damage
- Ag-Alloy wire has a wide process window that improves manufacturability for devices with fragile bond pad structures
- Ag-Alloy wire is the best low-cost replacement for applications that need:
- Die-to-die bonding, waterfall bonding and very thin Al pad
- Ultra-fine bond pad pitch (BPP) and small bond pad openings (BPO) with less Al splash
- Ultra-low loop height
- Ag alloy has higher resistivity than Au and PCC
Copper Wirebond Key
Features & Benefits
- Significant cost advantage over gold wire
- Copper is an attractive replacement material for Au because of its good electrical & thermal performance
- Amkor has a long & wide history of Cu wire process
- 20+ years of experience (development to HVM)
- Qualified on 0.6-2.0 mils diameter Cu wire
- Under development: >2 mils dia Cu wire
- Mass production on both leadframe & laminate products
- Cu wire is supported in all Amkor worldwide factories with mass production since 2006
- Amkor worldwide Cu wire BOM/BKMs established
Questions?
Contact an Amkor expert by clicking the request info button below.