Aluminum wire developed for use in semiconductor packaging.
A process based on aluminum wire has been developed by Taiwan's National
Cheng Kung University (NCKU) to further reduce production costs.
After
four years of R&D, a team led by NCKU professors has overcome
problems such as the poor conductivity and ductility of aluminum and
developed fine aluminum wires for use in ball wire bonding.
The use of
aluminum instead of gold or copper in ball wire bonding could help
chipmakers significantly reduce their production costs.
The
key to the breakthrough technology is aluminum wires coated with a
layer of nano-zinc, NCKU disclosed. The diameter of the aluminum wire is
about 18 micrometers, and the purity of aluminum has been enhanced to
improve the material's thermal conductivity, ductility and toughness.
NCKU
also claimed it has been granted a patent for the aluminum ball bonding
technology in Taiwan. The university has also applied for a patent in
China.
NCKU's research paper regarding the aluminum ball bonding technology will be published in July 2016.
(copper wire is considered a cheaper alternative to gold wire for ball wire bonding used in semiconductor packaging, until now)
