Abstract
Electrochemical migration (ECM) forming dendritic short circuits is a major reliability limiting factor in microcircuits. Gold, which is a noble metal, has been regarded as a metallization that can withstand corrosion and also ECM, therefore its application in high-reliability metallization and surface finishing systems became widespread although it has a relatively high and fluctuating price. Gold electrochemical short circuits have been found only in the case of halogen (e.g., chloride containing) contaminants that can initiate the anodic dissolution of gold via complex ion formation. The experimental results of the study demonstrate that gold can form dendritic shorts even without the presence of halogen contaminants, therefore the direct anodic dissolution of gold must also be supposed. This could also be a serious reliability influencing factor even when applying gold metallization systems and must be taken into consideration. The theoretical background of the classical (contaminant-free) model of gold is also discussed in the paper.
Highlights
Various electrochemical corrosion-related failures [1,2] have received increased attention due to the current miniaturization trend in terms of electronics
The experiments and the analyses have demonstrated here that pure gold dendrites under 10 V, which is, very high in comparison with the typical standard elecwere formed during the water drop (WD) tests between the gold electrodes
The experiments and the analyses have demonstrated here that pure gold dendrites it must be supposed that gold can follow the classical model of Electrochemical migration (ECM) without were formed during the WD tests between the gold electrodes
Summary
Various electrochemical corrosion-related failures [1,2] have received increased attention due to the current miniaturization trend in terms of electronics. One of these corrosion-related failure mechanisms is ionic or electrochemical migration (ECM) [3,4]. The first electrochemical model of ECM was reported regarding Ag migration [5]. In the so-called classical ECM model, dendrites grow from the cathode towards the anode in an aqueous electrolyte without any contaminants. It was discovered that several other metals can show signs of ionic migration and can form dendrites, such as copper, lead, tin, nickel, gold, etc. Contradictory statements can be read in the literature about the ECM behavior of gold
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