A gold-coated silver bonding wire includes: a core material containing silver as a main component; and a coating layer provided on a surface of the core material and containing gold as a main component. The gold-coated silver bonding wire contains gold in a range of not less than 2 mass % nor more than 7 mass %, and at least one sulfur group element selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium, and tellurium in a range of not less than 1 mass ppm nor more than 80 mass ppm, with respect to a total content of the bonding wire.

There is provided a palladium-coated copper bonding wire that does not cause a shrinkage cavity during first bonding, has high bonding reliability, and is capable of maintaining excellent bonding reliability for a long period of time even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. A palladium-coated copper bonding wire in which a concentration of palladium is 1.0 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % or less relative to the total of copper, palladium, and a sulfur group element, a total concentration of the sulfur group element is 50 mass ppm or less, and a concentration of sulfur is 5 mass ppm or more and 12 mass ppm or less, a concentration of selenium is 5 mass ppm or more and 20 mass ppm or less, or a concentration of tellurium is 15 mass ppm or more and 50 mass ppm or less, and the palladium-coated copper bonding wire including a palladium-concentrated region with the average concentration of palladium of 6.5 atom % or more and 30.0 atom % or less relative to the total of copper and palladium within a range from a surface of a tip portion of a free air ball formed at a tip of the wire to 5.0 nm or more and 100.0 nm or less.

There is provided a palladium-coated copper bonding wire that does not cause a shrinkage cavity during first bonding, has high bonding reliability, and is capable of maintaining excellent bonding reliability for a long period of time even in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. A palladium-coated copper bonding wire in which a concentration of palladium is 1.0 mass % or more and 4.0 mass % or less relative to the total of copper, palladium, and a sulfur group element, a total concentration of the sulfur group element is 50 mass ppm or less, and a concentration of sulfur is 5 mass ppm or more and 12 mass ppm or less, a concentration of selenium is 5 mass ppm or more and 20 mass ppm or less, or a concentration of tellurium is 15 mass ppm or more and 50 mass ppm or less, and the palladium-coated copper bonding wire including a palladium-concentrated region with the average concentration of palladium of 6.5 atom % or more and 30.0 atom % or less relative to the total of copper and palladium within a range from a surface of a tip portion of a free air ball formed at a tip of the wire to 5.0 nm or more and 100.0 nm or less.

A method for forming a bond pad structure includes forming an interconnect structure on a semiconductor device, forming a passivation layer on the interconnect structure, forming at least one opening through the passivation layer, forming an oxidation layer at least in the opening, and forming a pad metal layer on the oxidation layer. A portion of the interconnect structure is exposed by the at least one opening.

A method for forming a bond pad structure includes forming an interconnect structure on a semiconductor device, forming a passivation layer on the interconnect structure, forming at least one opening through the passivation layer, forming an oxidation layer at least in the opening, and forming a pad metal layer on the oxidation layer. A portion of the interconnect structure is exposed by the at least one opening.

A wire comprising a wire core with a surface, the wire core having a coating layer superimposed on its surface, wherein the wire core includes: (a) pure silver consisting of silver and further components; or (b) doped silver consisting of silver, at least one doping element, and further components; or (c) a silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium and further components; or (d) a silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium, gold, and further components; or (e) a doped silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium, gold, at least one doping element, and further components, wherein the individual amount of any further component is less than 30 wt.-ppm and the individual amount of any doping element is at least 30 wt.-ppm, and the coating layer is a single-layer of gold or palladium or a double-layer comprised of an inner layer of nickel or palladium and an adjacent outer layer of gold.

A wire comprising a wire core with a surface, the wire core having a coating layer superimposed on its surface, wherein the wire core includes: (a) pure silver consisting of silver and further components; or (b) doped silver consisting of silver, at least one doping element, and further components; or (c) a silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium and further components; or (d) a silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium, gold, and further components; or (e) a doped silver alloy consisting of silver, palladium, gold, at least one doping element, and further components, wherein the individual amount of any further component is less than 30 wt.-ppm and the individual amount of any doping element is at least 30 wt.-ppm, and the coating layer is a single-layer of gold or palladium or a double-layer comprised of an inner layer of nickel or palladium and an adjacent outer layer of gold.

A structure containing a Sn layer or a Sn alloy layer includes a substrate, a Sn layer or Sn alloy layer formed above the substrate, and an under barrier metal formed between the substrate and the Sn layer or Sn alloy layer in the form of a single metal layer containing any one of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd, or an alloy layer containing two or more of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd.

A structure containing a Sn layer or a Sn alloy layer includes a substrate, a Sn layer or Sn alloy layer formed above the substrate, and an under barrier metal formed between the substrate and the Sn layer or Sn alloy layer in the form of a single metal layer containing any one of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd, or an alloy layer containing two or more of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd.

A structure containing a Sn layer or a Sn alloy layer includes a substrate, a Sn layer or Sn alloy layer formed above the substrate, and an under barrier metal formed between the substrate and the Sn layer or Sn alloy layer in the form of a single metal layer containing any one of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd, or an alloy layer containing two or more of Fe, Co, Ru and Pd.