Gold wire bonding typically uses 60 KHz ultrasonic frequency. Studies have been reported that increasing ultrasonic frequency from 60KHz to 120KHz can decrease bonding time, lower bonding temperature, and/or improve the bondability of Au metalized organic substrates. This thesis presents a systematic study of the effects of 120 KHz ultrasonic frequency on the reliability of fine pitch gold wire bonding. Two wire sizes, 25.4 and 17.8 μm in diameter (1.0 and 0.7 mil, respectively) were used. The gold wires were bonded to metalized pads over organic substrates with five different metallization. The studies were carried out using a thermosonic ball bonder that is able to easily switch from ultrasonic frequency from 60 KHz to 120 KHz by changing the ultrasonic transducer and the ultrasonic generator. Bonding parameters were optimized through design of experiment methodology for four different cases: 60 KHz with 25.4 μm wire, 60 KHz with 17.8 μm wire, 120 KHz with 25.4 μm wire, and 120 KHz with 17.8 μm wire. The integrity of wire bonds was evaluated by the wire pull and the ball bond shear tests. With the optimized bonding parameters, over 2,250 bonds were made for each frequency and wire size. The samples were then divided into three groups. The first group was subjected to temperature cycling from -55°C to +125°C with one hour per cycle for up to 1000 cycles. The second group was subject to thermal aging at 125°C for up to 1000 hours. The third group was subject to humidity at 85°C/85% relative humidity (RH) for up to 1000 hours. The bond integrity was evaluated through the wire pull and the ball shear tests immediately after bonding, and after each 150, 300, 500, and 1000 hours time interval in the reliability tests. The pull and shear data are then analyzed to compare the wire bond performance between different ultrasonic frequencies.

No description available.

La tendance actuelle dans le domaine du transport ferroviaire est d'intégrer des modules de puissance de plus en plus puissants dans des volumes de plus en plus réduits. Cela pose des problèmes, notamment en termes de fiabilité, car lors de leurs cycles de fonctionnement, les interrupteurs à semi-conducteurs et leur environnement immédiat sont soumis à des contraintes électro-thermo-mécaniques plus sévères. Cela peut entraine leur destruction et donc la défaillance de la fonction de conversion d'énergie. L'objectif principal de cette thèse est de décrire des modèles et des outils de simulation multi-physiques afin de caractériser ces contraintes. Nous avons choisi comme cas d'étude les fils de connexion dits «wire bonding». Ces fils sont, en effet, considérés comme l'un des points faibles en ce qui concerne la durée de vie des modules de puissance, utilisés dans les systèmes embarqués notamment dans le ferroviaire. Dans ce contexte multi-physique, nous avons développé des modèles, numériques, éléments finis, analytiques, 3D ou 1D, afin de déterminer les contraintes thermomécaniques lors du passage du courant dans ces fils. A travers les modèles décrits et les résultats de simulation présentés, nous caractérisons le comportement des fils d'un point de vue électrique, thermique, magnétique ou mécanique. Plus précisément les interactions électromagnétiques, électrothermiques, électromécaniques ou thermomécaniques entre modèles et entre outils de simulation sont discutées. Les résultats sont confrontés aux mesures thermiques et de déplacement. Ces dernières sont réalisées par le biais de prototypes expérimentaux. Le mode de sollicitation utilisé est dit actif. Un régime de courant, continu ou alternatif, est appliqué au système. La réponse thermique et mécanique du système est alors obtenue. Les conclusions de cette étude permettent d'une part de mieux caractériser le comportement électro thermomécanique des fils de bonding et de mieux comprendre l'origine des modes de défaillance de cette technologie d'interconnexion. D'autre part, une démarche d'utilisation des modèles et outils logiciels multi physiques pour une simulation électro thermomécanique est présentée / The trend in the field of railway transport is to integrate increasingly powerful power modules in smaller volumes. This is problematic, especially in terms of reliability: during their cycles of operation, the semiconductor switches and their immediate environment are subject to tougher electro-thermo-mechanical stresses. This can lead to their destruction and then, to the failure of the energy conversion function. The main goal of this work is to describe the models and multi-physics simulation tools to characterize these stresses. We chose as a case study the connection wire called “wire bonding”. These wires are, indeed, considered one of the weaknesses of the life time of the power module used in embedded systems, particularly in railway applications. In this multi-physics context, we have developed numerical, finite elements, analytical, 3D or 1D models to determine the thermo-mechanical stresses during the current flow through the wires. Thanks to the models described and the simulation results presented, we characterize the behavior of the wire for an electrical, thermal, magnetic or mechanical point of view. More precisely, the electro-magnetic, electro-thermal, electro-mechanical or thermo-mechanical interactions between models and between simulation tools are discussed. The results are compared to thermal and displacement measurements. They are realized thanks to experimental prototypes. The type of solicitation is called active. A system of direct or alternating current is applied to the system. The thermal and mechanical response of the system is obtained. The conclusions of this study allow, on the one hand, characterizing the electro thermo-mechanical behavior of wires bonding and understanding the origin of the failure modes of this technology. On the other hand, a way of using models and multi-physics software tools for an electro thermo-mechanical simulation is presented

Over the last ten years the Li-ion battery cells plays a significant role in the world’s decarbonization and reduction of CO2 emission. They are widely applied in many industries, such as consumer electronics, transportation and energy storage industries. The number of batteries cells varies from a few to thousands in a battery application, they are connected in series and/or parallel according to their designed voltage and capacity. It is a great advantage to be able to electrically connect the positive and negative sides of the battery from one side when designing and manufacturing battery modules and battery packs, because the whole built height of module could be a little lower and the rest of space below the cell body is free for cooling or thermal management. In this thesis project, different bonding technologies were compared, and ultrasonic wire bonding was selected to connect the negative electrode (shoulder) of battery and busbar. However, bonding on the shoulder of battery was still a challenge. The mechanism of ultrasonic wire bonding and the surface condition of the shoulder were studied in the project in order to develop the bonding process. Besides, the DoE experiment was used to further optimize the parameters of the wire bonding process. The 4 most influential factors were obtained from 7 factors from the screening factor experiment. Then a full factorial experiment was carried out for evaluation. Finally, a series of optimized parameters could be summarized. / Under de senaste tio åren har litiumjonbattericellerna spelat en betydande roll för världens koldioxidutsläpp och minskning av CO2-utsläpp. De används i stor utsträckning inom många industrier, såsom hemelektronik, transport och energilagringsindustrier. Antalet battericeller varierar från några få till tusentals i en batteriapplikation, de är seriekopplade och/eller parallellt beroende på den spänning och kapacitet de är avseddaför. Det är en stor fördel att kunna koppla ihop batteriets positiva och negativa sidorelektriskt på samma sida när man designar och tillverkar batterimoduler ochbatteripaket, eftersom hela bygghöjden på modulen kan vara lite lägre och resten av utrymmet under cellkroppen är fri för kylning eller termisk hantering. I detta examensarbete jämfördes olika bindningsteknologier och ultraljudstrådsbindning valdes för att ansluta den negativa elektroden (axeln) på batteriet och samlingsskenan. Att fästa på axeln av batteriet var dock fortfarande en utmaning. Mekanismen för ultraljudstrådbindning och axelns yttillstånd studerades i projektet för att utveckla bindningsprocessen. Dessutom användes DoE-experimentet för att ytterligare optimera parametrarna för trådbindningsprocessen. De 4 mest inflytelserika faktorerna erhölls från 7 faktorer från screeningfaktorexperimentet. Därefter utfördes ett fullständigt faktorexperiment för utvärdering. Slutligen kunde en serie optimerade parametrar sammanställas.

La diminution des dimensions critiques dans l’industrie du semi-conducteur requiert l’utilisation de nouveaux matériaux fragiles qui dégradent la résistance mécanique des puces. On s’intéresse plus particulièrement aux étapes précédant la mise en boîtier, à savoir les tests paramétriques qui permettent de vérifier la fonctionnalité électrique de la puce, et les assemblages tels la connexion filaire qui ont pour but d’établir les connexions avec le boîtier. Durant ces opérations, des défaillances mécaniques sont observées dans les interconnexions situées sous le pad. Des techniques expérimentales (par ex : FIB/MEB) sont mises en œuvre une fois les tests ou les assemblages avec des fils d’or et de cuivre réalisés afin de mieux comprendre les raisons d’apparition de ces défaillances ainsi que leur localisation. Des plans d’expériences sont mis en place pour évaluer l’influence des divers paramètres de tests et d’assemblage et également celle des architectures de pad. En parallèle, une nouvelle méthode d’analyse basée sur la nanoindentation est utilisée pour comparer la robustesse mécanique de divers plots de connexion. D’autre part, plusieurs modèles éléments finis complexes, prenant en compte la gestion du contact entre la pointe de test et le pad ainsi que les effets inertiels associés, sont développés dans le but de reproduire les conditions de chargement sur les pads. Finalement, un ensemble d’outils adaptés à l’étude et l’optimisation des architectures de pad, dans une optique industrielle, est présenté de même que des règles de dessin permettant d’accompagner le développement technologique. / The diminution of the critical dimensions in the semiconductor industry and the introduction of new brittle dielectric materials raise questions on the mechanical resistance of the die and the pad architectures. Nowadays, pad structures are prone to crack. More precisely, the electrical wafer sort (EWS), which allows checking the electrical functionality of the die, and the assemblies such as the wire bonding to achieve the electrical connections with the packaging, are performed at the wafer level and introduce high levels of local mechanical stresses. Indeed, during these operations, failures in the oxide layers of the interconnections are observed. Experimental techniques (e.g. profilometry, FIB/SEM) are developed after EWS and bonding with gold and copper wires to gain insight on the root causes and localization of the failures. Some designs of experiments are set up to evaluate the influence of the test and process parameters and also of the various pad designs on the mechanical robustness of the structures. In addition, a novel analysis procedure, based on nanoindentation technique, is employed to compare various pads, which are complex multilayer systems. Moreover, several finite element models, using both explicit and implicit schemes are developed to mimic the EWS test. Indeed, these models have shown their ability to reproduce the loading conditions, the contact between the testing needle tip and the pad, and some inertial effect during the test. Finally, a comprehensive set of tools to evaluate and optimize the pad architectures is presented. Guidelines for pad layouts are also given, providing integration insights in the frame of the technology development.

This thesis treats the development of packaging and integration methods for the cost-efficient encapsulation and packaging of microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices. The packaging of MEMS devices is often more costly than the device itself, partly because the packaging can be crucial for the performance of the device. For devices which contain liquids or needs to be enclosed in a vacuum, the packaging can account for up to 80% of the total cost of the device. The first part of this thesis presents the integration scheme for an optical dye thin film NO2-gas sensor, designed using cost-efficient implementations of wafer-scale methods. This work includes design and fabrication of photonic subcomponents in addition to the main effort of integration and packaging of the dye-film. A specific proof of concept target was for NO2 monitoring in a car tunnel. The second part of this thesis deals with the wafer-scale packaging methods developed for the sensing device. The developed packaging method, based on low-temperature plastic deformation of gold sealing structures, is further demonstrated as a generic method for other hermetic liquid and vacuum packaging applications. In the developed packaging methods, the mechanically squeezed gold sealing material is both electroplated microstruc- tures and wire bonded stud bumps. The electroplated rings act like a more hermetic version of rubber sealing rings while compressed in conjunction with a cavity forming wafer bonding process. The stud bump sealing processes is on the other hand applied on completed cavities with narrow access ports, to seal either a vacuum or liquid inside the cavities at room temperature. Additionally, the resulting hermeticity of primarily the vacuum sealing methods is thoroughly investigated. Two of the sealing methods presented require permanent mechanical fixation in order to complete the packaging process. Two solutions to this problem are presented in this thesis. First, a more traditional wafer bonding method using tin-soldering is demonstrated. Second, a novel full-wafer epoxy underfill-process using a microfluidic distribution network is demonstrated using a room temperature process. / <p>QC 20130325</p>

The goal of this thesis is on improving the understanding of mechanical and tribological mechanisms in microelectronic wire bonding. In particular, it focusses on the development and application of quantitative models of ultrasonic (US) friction and interfacial wear in wire bonding. Another objective of the thesis is to develop a low-stress Cu ball bonding process that minimizes damage to the microchip. These are accomplished through experimental measurements of in situ US tangential force by piezoresistive microsensors integrated next to the bonding zone using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The processes investigated are thermosonic (TS) Au ball bonding on Al pads (Au-Al process), TS Cu ball bonding on Al pads (Cu-Al process), and US Al wedge-wedge bonding on Al pads (Al-Al process). TS ball bonding processes are optimized with one Au and two Cu wire types, obtaining average shear strength (SS) of more than 120 MPa. Ball bonds made with Cu wire show at least 15% higher SS than those made with Au wire. However, 30% higher US force induced to the bonding pad is measured for the Cu process using the microsensor, which increases the risk of underpad damage. The US force can be reduced by: (i) using a Cu wire type that produces softer deformed ball results in a measured US force reduction of 5%; and (ii) reducing the US level to 0.9 times the conventionally optimized level, the US force can be reduced by 9%. It is shown that using a softer Cu deformed ball and a reduced US level reduces the extra stress observed with Cu wire compared to Au wire by 42%. To study the combined effect of bond force (BF) and US in Cu ball bonding, the US parameter is optimized for eight levels of BF. For ball bonds made with conventionally optimized BF and US settings, the SS is ≈ 140 MPa. The amount of Al pad splash extruding out of bonded ball interface (for conventionally optimized BF and US settings) is between 10–12 µm. It can be reduced to 3–7 µm if accepting a SS reduction to 50–70 MPa. For excessive US settings, elliptical shaped Cu bonded balls are observed, with the major axis perpendicular to the US direction. By using a lower value of BF combined with a reduced US level, the US force can be reduced by 30% while achieving an average SS of at least 120 MPa. These process settings also aid in reducing the amount of splash by 4.3 µm. The US force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for detailed insight into the tribological mechanisms during the bonding process. The relative amount of the third harmonic of US force in the Cu-Al process is found to be five times smaller than in the Au-Al process. In contrast, in the Al-Al process, a large second harmonic content is observed, describing a non-symmetric deviation of the force signal waveform from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. The analysis of harmonics of the US force indicates that although slightly different from each other, stick-slip friction is an important mechanism in all these wire bonding variants. A friction power theory is used to derive the US friction power during Au-Al, Cu-Al, and Al-Al processes. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the US transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free-air, and the US tangential force acting on the bonding pad. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model such as the ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system and the profile of the relative interfacial sliding amplitude are determined. The maximum interfacial friction power during Al-Al process is at least 11.5 mW (3.9 W/mm²), which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the US transducer. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the Al-Al wedge bond is 60.4 mJ (20.4 J/mm²). For the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, the US friction power is derived with an improved, more accurate method to derive the US compliance. The method uses a multi-step bonding process. In the first two steps, the US current is set to levels that are low enough to prevent sliding. Sliding and bonding take place during the third step, when the current is ramped up to the optimum value. The US compliance values are derived from the first two steps. The average maximum interfacial friction power is 10.3 mW (10.8 W/mm²) and 16.9 mW (18.7 W/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the bond is 48.5 mJ (50.3 J/mm²) and 49.4 mJ (54.8 J/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. Finally, the sliding wear theory is used to derive the amount of interfacial wear during Au-Al and Cu-Al processes. The method uses the US force and the derived interfacial sliding amplitude as the main inputs. The estimated total average depth of interfacial wear in Au-Al and Cu-Al processes is 416 nm and 895 nm, respectively. However, the error of estimation of wear in both the Au-Al and the Cu-Al processes is ≈ 50%, making this method less accurate than the friction power and energy results. Given the error in the determination of compliance in the Al-Al process, the error in the estimation of wear in the Al-Al process might have been even larger; hence the wear results pertaining to the Al-Al process are not discussed in this study.

The goal of this thesis is on improving the understanding of mechanical and tribological mechanisms in microelectronic wire bonding. In particular, it focusses on the development and application of quantitative models of ultrasonic (US) friction and interfacial wear in wire bonding. Another objective of the thesis is to develop a low-stress Cu ball bonding process that minimizes damage to the microchip. These are accomplished through experimental measurements of in situ US tangential force by piezoresistive microsensors integrated next to the bonding zone using standard complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The processes investigated are thermosonic (TS) Au ball bonding on Al pads (Au-Al process), TS Cu ball bonding on Al pads (Cu-Al process), and US Al wedge-wedge bonding on Al pads (Al-Al process). TS ball bonding processes are optimized with one Au and two Cu wire types, obtaining average shear strength (SS) of more than 120 MPa. Ball bonds made with Cu wire show at least 15% higher SS than those made with Au wire. However, 30% higher US force induced to the bonding pad is measured for the Cu process using the microsensor, which increases the risk of underpad damage. The US force can be reduced by: (i) using a Cu wire type that produces softer deformed ball results in a measured US force reduction of 5%; and (ii) reducing the US level to 0.9 times the conventionally optimized level, the US force can be reduced by 9%. It is shown that using a softer Cu deformed ball and a reduced US level reduces the extra stress observed with Cu wire compared to Au wire by 42%. To study the combined effect of bond force (BF) and US in Cu ball bonding, the US parameter is optimized for eight levels of BF. For ball bonds made with conventionally optimized BF and US settings, the SS is ≈ 140 MPa. The amount of Al pad splash extruding out of bonded ball interface (for conventionally optimized BF and US settings) is between 10–12 µm. It can be reduced to 3–7 µm if accepting a SS reduction to 50–70 MPa. For excessive US settings, elliptical shaped Cu bonded balls are observed, with the major axis perpendicular to the US direction. By using a lower value of BF combined with a reduced US level, the US force can be reduced by 30% while achieving an average SS of at least 120 MPa. These process settings also aid in reducing the amount of splash by 4.3 µm. The US force measurement is like a signature of the bond as it allows for detailed insight into the tribological mechanisms during the bonding process. The relative amount of the third harmonic of US force in the Cu-Al process is found to be five times smaller than in the Au-Al process. In contrast, in the Al-Al process, a large second harmonic content is observed, describing a non-symmetric deviation of the force signal waveform from the sinusoidal shape. This deviation might be due to the reduced geometrical symmetry of the wedge tool. The analysis of harmonics of the US force indicates that although slightly different from each other, stick-slip friction is an important mechanism in all these wire bonding variants. A friction power theory is used to derive the US friction power during Au-Al, Cu-Al, and Al-Al processes. Auxiliary measurements include the current delivered to the US transducer, the vibration amplitude of the bonding tool tip in free-air, and the US tangential force acting on the bonding pad. For bonds made with typical process parameters, several characteristic values used in the friction power model such as the ultrasonic compliance of the bonding system and the profile of the relative interfacial sliding amplitude are determined. The maximum interfacial friction power during Al-Al process is at least 11.5 mW (3.9 W/mm²), which is only about 4.8% of the total electrical power delivered to the US transducer. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the Al-Al wedge bond is 60.4 mJ (20.4 J/mm²). For the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, the US friction power is derived with an improved, more accurate method to derive the US compliance. The method uses a multi-step bonding process. In the first two steps, the US current is set to levels that are low enough to prevent sliding. Sliding and bonding take place during the third step, when the current is ramped up to the optimum value. The US compliance values are derived from the first two steps. The average maximum interfacial friction power is 10.3 mW (10.8 W/mm²) and 16.9 mW (18.7 W/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. The total sliding friction energy delivered to the bond is 48.5 mJ (50.3 J/mm²) and 49.4 mJ (54.8 J/mm²) for the Au-Al and Cu-Al processes, respectively. Finally, the sliding wear theory is used to derive the amount of interfacial wear during Au-Al and Cu-Al processes. The method uses the US force and the derived interfacial sliding amplitude as the main inputs. The estimated total average depth of interfacial wear in Au-Al and Cu-Al processes is 416 nm and 895 nm, respectively. However, the error of estimation of wear in both the Au-Al and the Cu-Al processes is ≈ 50%, making this method less accurate than the friction power and energy results. Given the error in the determination of compliance in the Al-Al process, the error in the estimation of wear in the Al-Al process might have been even larger; hence the wear results pertaining to the Al-Al process are not discussed in this study.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

The doctoral thesis is aimed at research of application possibilities of low-temperature co-fired ceramics, especially its non-conventional usage. It deals with particular topics ensue from electronic chips package design. The thesis also touches optoelectronic sensor application of this ceramics.