The bonding characteristics and high-temperature reliability of gold bonding wires wereinvestigated with respect to the thickness of the aluminum pads and the addition of palladium. Samples ofhigh-purity gold (99.99%, 4N) and gold with 1% palladium added (99% purity, 2N) were processed into15.3 m diameter ultra-fine wires through wire drawing and bonded to aluminum pads with thicknesses of1 m and 5 m using ball bonding equipment. The reliability at elevated temperatures was evaluated byannealing at 175oC for up to 1,000 hours. Micro-structural and intermetallic compound (IMC) phase changesat the vertical cross-sections of bonded areas were characterized using SEM-EDS at specific time intervals. For 1 m aluminum pads, both 4N and 2N gold wires initially exhibited identical bonding ball morphologies. Voids began to form at the lateral sections after 250 hours, accompanied by the formation of Au8Al3 and Au4Alphases. Despite these observations, stable bonding was maintained up to 1,000 hours, with the palladiumaddition proving advantageous in terms of bonding strength. On the other hand, for 5 m aluminum pads,IMCs in the 4N wire were stabilized as Au8Al3, maintaining the bond interface for up to 1,000 hours. However,for the 2N wire, significant voids were observed beneath the bond interface as early as 250 hours. These voidswere attributed to the incorporation of palladium, which caused the growth of AuAl2 into Au2Al, leading torapid shrinkage due to phase transformation occurring at a very early stage. Therefore, the addition ofpalladium is less favorable when using 5 m thick aluminum pads, as it induces different inter-diffusionphenomena compared to 1 m pads, resulting in void formation.

This study investigated changes in electrical and mechanical properties, as well as the highhumidity reliability of 18 m-diameter silver alloy wires with palladium contents of 1.1, 2.5, 3.0, and 4.0 wt%,for semiconductor packaging. We also compared the formation of Free Air Ball (FAB) and the high humidityreliability of joints in a reducing atmosphere with 4N (99.99%) gold wire of the same diameter. The wireresistance and hardness values were measured using a 4-point probe and a micro-hardness tester. The FABformed in atmospheric and reducing atmospheres, as well as the high humidity reliability after bonding, wereanalyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry, and a mechanicalstrength analyzer. As the palladium content increased in the silver alloy wire, the electrical resistanceincreased, showing a similar level to gold wire up to 2.5 wt%, after which it exhibited a further increase. Thehardness values also increased sharply, but the rate of increase slowed down after 2.5 wt%. FAB exhibitedexcellent sphericity across the entire range of palladium content. After bonding, a uniform distribution ofpalladium was observed at the joint interface. The high humidity reliability showed improvement withincreasing palladium content. Palladium 1.1 wt% exhibited differences compared to 2.5 and 3.0 wt%, andfurther improvement was observed with an increase to 4.0 wt%. This is attributed to the incorporation ofpalladium into the vulnerable Ag3Al intermetallic compound, resulting in the formation of a corrosionresistant (AgPd)3Al phase. As a result, micro-diameter silver alloy wires with a diameter of 18 m or lessdemonstrated stable FAB formation, bonding processes, and properties that make them candidates to replaceconventional gold wires, particularly under conditions with palladium content exceeding 2.5 wt%.