Doped and low-alloyed gold bonding wires

Fine gold wires with diameters down to 15 mum are used fbr bonding semiconductor devices. Increasing miniaturization of electronic circuits calls for smaller wire diameters, This requires the development of gold wires with increased mechanical strength and good bendability to replace thicker wire diameters without detriment to their functionality. The first gold bonding wires were purr gold, and then doped gold wires of high purity were developed because of their stabilized and improved mechanical characteristics. Nowadays and in the neat future low alloyed gold wires are increasingly replacing doped gold wires. This paper gives an overview of the mechanical characteristics of doped and low-alloyed gold bonding wires and their bendability.