A solder ball includes a silver ball structure and a shell structure. The shell structure wraps a surface of the silver ball structure, and a material of the shell structure at least includes tin. When the solder ball is bonded to other devices, the ball height of the solder ball remains constant to avoid collapse.

A semiconductor device has a module structure in which a semiconductor element and a circuit layer are electrically connected to each other by a wire. A front metal layer is formed on a surface of a top side electrode of the semiconductor element and the wire is bonded to the front metal layer by wire bonding. The front metal layer has a higher hardness than the top side electrode or the wire. A bonding interface of the wire with the metal film has a recrystallization temperature that is equal to or higher than 175° C. According to this structure, it is possible to improve the power cycle resistance of the semiconductor device.

A semiconductor device has a module structure in which a semiconductor element and a circuit layer are electrically connected to each other by a wire. A front metal layer is formed on a surface of a top side electrode of the semiconductor element and the wire is bonded to the front metal layer by wire bonding. The front metal layer has a higher hardness than the top side electrode or the wire. A bonding interface of the wire with the metal film has a recrystallization temperature that is equal to or higher than 175° C. According to this structure, it is possible to improve the power cycle resistance of the semiconductor device.

A process for electrically connecting contact surfaces of electronic components by capillary wedge bonding a round wire of 8 to 80 μm to the contact surface of a first electronic component, forming a wire loop, and stitch bonding the wire to the contact surface of a second electronic component, wherein the wire comprises a wire core having a silver or silver-based wire core with a double-layered coating comprised of a 1 to 50 nm thick inner layer of nickel or palladium and an adjacent 5 to 200 nm thick outer layer of gold.

A process for electrically connecting contact surfaces of electronic components by capillary wedge bonding a round wire of 8 to 80 μm to the contact surface of a first electronic component, forming a wire loop, and stitch bonding the wire to the contact surface of a second electronic component, wherein the wire comprises a wire core having a silver or silver-based wire core with a double-layered coating comprised of a 1 to 50 nm thick inner layer of nickel or palladium and an adjacent 5 to 200 nm thick outer layer of gold.

A device includes a first semiconductor chip that is arranged over a first carrier and includes a first electrical contact. The device further includes a second semiconductor chip arranged over a second carrier and including a second electrical contact arranged over a surface of the second semiconductor chip facing the second carrier. The second carrier is electrically coupled to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

A device includes a first semiconductor chip that is arranged over a first carrier and includes a first electrical contact. The device further includes a second semiconductor chip arranged over a second carrier and including a second electrical contact arranged over a surface of the second semiconductor chip facing the second carrier. The second carrier is electrically coupled to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

An apparatus relating generally to a substrate is disclosed. In such an apparatus, a first bond via array has first wires extending from a surface of the substrate. A second bond via array has second wires extending from the surface of the substrate. The first bond via array is disposed at least partially within the second bond via array. The first wires of the first bond via array are of a first height. The second wires of the second bond via array are of a second height greater than the first height for coupling of at least one die to the first bond via array at least partially disposed within the second bond via array.

An apparatus relating generally to a substrate is disclosed. In such an apparatus, a first bond via array has first wires extending from a surface of the substrate. A second bond via array has second wires extending from the surface of the substrate. The first bond via array is disposed at least partially within the second bond via array. The first wires of the first bond via array are of a first height. The second wires of the second bond via array are of a second height greater than the first height for coupling of at least one die to the first bond via array at least partially disposed within the second bond via array.

A wire comprising a wire core with a surface, the wire core having a coating layer superimposed on its surface, wherein the wire core itself consists of: (a) pure silver consisting of (a1) silver in an amount in the range of from 99.99 to 100 wt.-% and (a2) further components in a total amount of from 0 to 100 wt.-ppm or (b) doped silver consisting of (b1) silver in an amount in the range of from >99.49 to 99.997 wt.-%, (b2) at least one doping element selected from the group consisting of calcium, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, copper, rhodium and ruthenium in a total amount of from 30 to <5000 wt.-ppm and (b3) further components in a total amount of from 0 to 100 wt.-ppm, or (c) a silver alloy consisting of (c1) silver in an amount in the range of from 89.99 to 99.5 wt.-%, (c2) at least one alloying element selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, copper, rhodium and ruthenium in a total amount in the range of from 0.5 to 10 wt.-% and (c3) further components in a total amount of from 0 to 100 wt.-ppm, or (d) a doped silver alloy consisting of (d1) silver in an amount in the range of from >89.49 to 99.497 wt.-%, (d2) at least one doping element selected from the group consisting of calcium, nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, copper, rhodium and ruthenium in a total amount of from 30 to <5000 wt.-ppm, (d3) at least one alloying element selected from the group consisting of nickel, platinum, palladium, gold, copper, rhodium and ruthenium in a total amount in the range of from 0.5 to 10 wt.-% and (d4) further components in a total amount of from 0 to 100 wt.-ppm, wherein the at least one doping element (d2) is other than the at least one alloying element (d3), wherein the individual amount of any further component is less than 30 wt.-ppm, wherein the individual amount of any doping element is at least 30 wt.-ppm, wherein all amounts in wt.-% and wt.-ppm are based on the total weight of the core, and wherein the coating layer is a double-layer comprised of a 1 to 1000 nm inner layer of gold and an adjacent 0.5 to 100 nm thick outer layer of palladium or a double-layer comprised of a 0.5 to 100 nm thick inner layer of palladium and an adjacent >200 to 1000 nm thick outer layer of gold.