In the semiconductor field, storage devices and high-end smart cards are still highly dependent on bond alloy wires. With the development of 5G technology, the demand for storage devices is increasing. At the same time, facing fierce market competition, storage device manufacturers need cost-effective material solutions. Heraeus AgCoat Prime bonding gold-plated silver wire perfectly combines the dual advantages of gold and silver, and can be used as a substitute for bonding alloy wire for packaging. AgCoat Prime is a silver wire with gold-plated surface.
For the packaging industry, how to deal with the high gold price is a daunting challenge. It is not an ideal choice to directly replace the gold wire with a bonded silver wire, because the life of the silver wire after opening is short, and the bonding process needs to be burned under the protection of inert gas (FAB), which will bring a certain cost.
"The AgCoat Prime developed by Heraeus is the first feasible solution that can reduce costs while maintaining high performance comparable to gold wire." Heraeus Electronics Product Manager James Kim said. As a leading bond wire supplier, Heraeus once again leads the way in providing new solutions for customers in the storage device market.
The technical parameters of AgCoat Prime are highly consistent with the gold wire, and no inert gas is required during the bonding process, so manufacturers can continue to use existing production equipment. AgCoat Prime has a lifespan of up to 60 days after opening, so it can provide longer uninterrupted bonding wires, thereby improving production efficiency. Compared with the gold wire, AgCoat Prime's intermetallic compound (IMC) grows more slowly, and at the same time it improves the high temperature storage (HTS) and temperature cycling (TC) capabilities, and there will be no Kirkendall voids.
The main advantages of AgCoat Prime:
• Comparable with MTBA of Gold Line
•Ball burning without inert gas protection during bonding
•Compared with silver alloy wire, the service life after opening is longer (60 days)
• Improve the workability of the second solder joint
•Compared with gold wire, improved high temperature storage (HTS) and temperature cycling (TC) capabilities
•Using customers' existing production facilities without any additional investment in fixed assets
• Can use existing bonding machines
•The growth of intermetallic compound (IMC) is slower than that of gold wire