Understanding improved pitting corrosion resistance under high temperature application leading to a newly developed palladium coated copper wire

• Published in: Microelectronics and reliability Vol. 168; p. 115696
• Main Authors: Araki, Noritoshi, Eto, Motoki, Azuma, Shinya, Klengel, Robert, Klengel, Sandy, Yamada, Takashi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Copper wire; Corrosion; Electronic packaging; Palladium coated copper wire; PCC wire; Reliability; Copper wire; PCC wire; Corrosion; Reliability; Electronic packaging; Palladium coated copper wire
• ISSN: 0026-2714
• DOI: 10.1016/j.microrel.2025.115696

As the application of palladium coated copper (PCC) wire in automotive semiconductor sector increases, its reliability under high temperature is a topic of frequent discussion ever in the industry. One of the reliability concerns for PCC wire is pitting corrosion at ball bond and wedge bond contact areas. Pitting corrosion is a unique issue for PCC wire that could become prominent at high temperature (≥175 °C) in a sulfur containing environment. To overcome this issue, we developed a new PCC wire that has exceptionally high resistance against pitting corrosion by introducing the corrosion inhibitor inside the Pd coating layer. This paper discusses the reliability performance of the new wire, including the results of high temperature storage life test at elevated temperatures (up to 250 °C) and the investigation of the improving mechanism by high resolution microstructural analysis. •Developed a new palladium coated copper (PCC) wire that has exceptionally high resistance against pitting corrosion.•Pitting corrosion inhibitor is incorporated in Pd coating layer, enhancing corrosion resistance without increasing wire resistivity.•The pitting corrosion is efficiently suppressed even at 250 °C in high temperature storage life test (HTSL).•The same bonding parameter set as the conventional PCC wire can be used for the new wire.