A microelectronic package includes a substrate having a first surface. A microelectronic element overlies the first surface. Electrically conductive elements are exposed at the first surface of the substrate, at least some of which are electrically connected to the microelectronic element. The package includes wire bonds having bases bonded to respective ones of the conductive elements and ends remote from the substrate and remote from the bases. The ends of the wire bonds are defined on tips of the wire bonds, and the wire bonds define respective first diameters between the bases and the tips thereof. The tips have at least one dimension that is smaller than the respective first diameters of the wire bonds. A dielectric encapsulation layer covers portions of the wire bonds, and unencapsulated portions of the wire bonds are defined by portions of the wire bonds, including the ends, are uncovered by the encapsulation layer.

A method for fabricating a radio-frequency (RF) module is disclosed, the method including forming or providing a first assembly that includes a packaging substrate and an RF component mounted thereon, the first assembly further including one or more shielding-wirebonds formed relative to the RF component, forming an overmold over the packaging substrate to substantially encapsulate the RF component and the one or more shielding-wirebonds, the overmold formed by compression molding, and forming a conductive layer on an upper surface of the overmold such that the conductive layer is in electrical contact with some or all of the shielding-wirebonds.

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device, characterized in that the bonding wire includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer formed on a surface of the Cu alloy core material, the bonding wire contains an element that provides bonding reliability in a high-temperature environment, and a strength ratio defined by the following Equation (1) is 1.1 to 1.6:
Strength ratio=ultimate strength/0.2% offset yield strength.(1)

A nanostructure barrier for copper wire bonding includes metal grains and inter-grain metal between the metal grains. The nanostructure barrier includes a first metal selected from nickel or cobalt, and a second metal selected from tungsten or molybdenum. A concentration of the second metal is higher in the inter-grain metal than in the metal grains. The nanostructure barrier may be on a copper core wire to provide a coated bond wire. The nanostructure barrier may be on a bond pad to form a coated bond pad. A method of plating the nanostructure barrier using reverse pulse plating is disclosed. A wire bonding method using the coated bond wire is disclosed.

An offset interposer includes a land side including land-side ball-grid array (BGA) and a package-on-package (POP) side including a POP-side BGA. The land-side BGA includes two adjacent, spaced-apart land-side pads, and the POP-side BGA includes two adjacent, spaced-apart POP-side pads that are coupled to the respective two land-side BGA pads through the offset interposer. The land-side BGA is configured to interface with a first-level interconnect. The POP-side BGA is configured to interface with a POP substrate. Each of the two land-side pads has a different footprint than the respective two POP-side pads.

A support die includes complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, front support-die bonding pads electrically connected to a first subset of the peripheral circuitry, and backside bonding structures electrically connected to a second subset of the peripheral circuitry. A first memory die including a first three-dimensional array of memory elements is bonded to the support die. First memory-die bonding pads of the first memory die are bonded to the front support-die bonding pads. A second memory die including a second three-dimensional array of memory elements is bonded to the support die. Second memory-die bonding pads of the second memory die are bonded to the backside bonding structures.

In some examples, a device includes a semiconductor element, a layer element, and a single connector element electrically connecting the semiconductor element and the layer element. In some examples, the single connector element includes two or more discrete connector elements, and each discrete connector element of the two or more discrete connector elements electrically connects the semiconductor element and the layer element. In some examples, the single connector element also includes conductive material attached to the two or more discrete connector elements.

A wire bonding apparatus includes: a first tensioner which forms, nearer a wire supply side than a bonding tool, a first gas flow for applying a tension toward the wire supply side on a wire; a second tensioner which forms, between the first tensioner and a pressing part of the bonding tool, a second gas flow for applying a tension toward the wire supply side on the wire; and a control part which controls the first tensioner and the second tensioner. The control part implements control, in a predetermined period after a first bonding step for bonding the wire to a first bonding point, to turn off at least the second gas flow of the second tensioner among the first tensioner and the second tensioner or to make at least the second gas flow smaller than in the first bonding step.

A microelectronic device, in a leaded/leadless chip scale package, has a die and intermediate pads located adjacent to the die. The intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures. Wire bonds connect the die to the intermediate pads. An encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the die and the wire bonds, and contacts the intermediate pads. Package leads, located outside of the encapsulation material, are attached to the intermediate pads. The microelectronic device is formed by mounting the die on a carrier, and forming the intermediate pads on the carrier without using a photolithographic process. Wire bonds are formed between the die and the intermediate pads. The die, the wire bonds, and the intermediate pads are covered with an encapsulation material, and the carrier is subsequently removed, exposing the intermediate pads. The package leads are attached to the intermediate pads.

A semiconductor chip package includes a substrate; a semiconductor die mounted on the substrate, wherein the semiconductor die comprises a bond pad disposed on an active surface of the semiconductor die, and a passivation layer covering perimeter of the bond pad, wherein a bond pad opening in the passivation layer exposes a central area of the bond pad; a conductive paste post printed on the exposed central area of the bond pad; and a bonding wire secured to a top surface of the conductive paste post. The conductive paste post comprises copper paste.