Abstract
The ultrasonic wire-bonding performance on Ag bond pads is limited by the presence of oxides and organic contaminants. These contaminations act as lubricants during wire bonding. They reduce the interfacial friction and decrease the heat dissipation between the two contacting materials, leading to bad bond quality. Plasma processes have proven to be a valuable tool for eliminating such contaminations and boosting wire-bonding performance. We present investigations of the effects of H2 plasma on oxidized silver films by photoelectron spectroscopy and quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements. The H2 plasma treatment of Ag bond pads is not a classical surface-cleaning process. It is a bulk process, and it induces a reduction of silver oxide and recrystallization. The high mass transport caused by large changes in density during reduction leads to the formation of (111)-terminated regions at the surface. This densely packed termination can account for the apparent passivating effect of H2 plasmas on Ag bond pads, which allows for long-term storage in ambient atmosphere without deteriorating bonding performance.
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