A half bridge circuit includes an input connection configured to supply an electric input, an output connection configured to supply an electric output to a load to be connected to the output connection, a switch and a diode arranged between the input connection and the output connection and a voltage limiting inductance arranged in series between the switch and the diode. The voltage limiting inductance is configured to limit, upon switching the switch, a maximum voltage across the switch to below a breakdown voltage of the switch. A corresponding method of operating the half bridge circuit and package are also described.

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.

Provided is a bonding wire capable of reducing the occurrence of defective loops. The bonding wire includes: a core material which contains more than 50 mol % of a metal M; an intermediate layer which is formed over the surface of the core material and made of Ni, Pd, the metal M, and unavoidable impurities, and in which the concentration of the Ni is 15 to 80 mol %; and a coating layer formed over the intermediate layer and made of Ni, Pd and unavoidable impurities. The concentration of the Pd in the coating layer is 50 to 100 mol %. The metal M is Cu or Ag, and the concentration of Ni in the coating layer is lower than the concentration of Ni in the intermediate layer.

Provided is a bonding wire capable of reducing the occurrence of defective loops. The bonding wire includes: a core material which contains more than 50 mol % of a metal M; an intermediate layer which is formed over the surface of the core material and made of Ni, Pd, the metal M, and unavoidable impurities, and in which the concentration of the Ni is 15 to 80 mol %; and a coating layer formed over the intermediate layer and made of Ni, Pd and unavoidable impurities. The concentration of the Pd in the coating layer is 50 to 100 mol %. The metal M is Cu or Ag, and the concentration of Ni in the coating layer is lower than the concentration of Ni in the intermediate layer.

A microelectronic device, in a multirow gull-wing chip scale package, has a die connected to intermediate pads by wire bonds. The intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures. An encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the die and the wire bonds, and contacts the intermediate pads. Inner gull-wing leads and outer gull-wing leads, located outside of the encapsulation material, are attached to the intermediate pads. The gull-wing leads have external attachment surfaces opposite from the intermediate pads. The external attachment surfaces of the outer gull-wing leads are located outside of the external attachment surfaces of the inner gull-wing leads. The microelectronic device is formed by mounting the die on a carrier, forming the intermediate pads without using a photolithographic process, and forming the wire bonds. The encapsulation material is formed, and the carrier is subsequently removed, exposing the intermediate pads. The gull-wing leads are formed on the intermediate pads.

A microelectronic device, in a multirow gull-wing chip scale package, has a die connected to intermediate pads by wire bonds. The intermediate pads are free of photolithographically-defined structures. An encapsulation material at least partially surrounds the die and the wire bonds, and contacts the intermediate pads. Inner gull-wing leads and outer gull-wing leads, located outside of the encapsulation material, are attached to the intermediate pads. The gull-wing leads have external attachment surfaces opposite from the intermediate pads. The external attachment surfaces of the outer gull-wing leads are located outside of the external attachment surfaces of the inner gull-wing leads. The microelectronic device is formed by mounting the die on a carrier, forming the intermediate pads without using a photolithographic process, and forming the wire bonds. The encapsulation material is formed, and the carrier is subsequently removed, exposing the intermediate pads. The gull-wing leads are formed on the intermediate pads.

There is provided a novel Cu bonding wire that achieves a favorable FAB shape and reduces a galvanic corrosion in a high-temperature environment to achieve a favorable bond reliability of the 2nd bonding part. The bonding wire for semiconductor devices includes a core material of Cu or Cu alloy, and a coating layer having a total concentration of Pd and Ni of 90 atomic % or more formed on a surface of the core material. The bonding wire is characterized in that: in a concentration profile in a depth direction of the wire obtained by performing measurement using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) so that the number of measurement points in the depth direction is 50 or more for the coating layer, a thickness of the coating layer is 10 nm or more and 130 nm or less, an average value X is 0.2 or more and 35.0 or less where X is defined as an average value of a ratio of a Pd concentration C.sub.Pd (atomic %) to an Ni concentration C.sub.Ni (atomic %), C.sub.Pd/C.sub.Ni, for all measurement points in the coating layer, and the total number of measurement points in the coating layer whose absolute deviation from the average value X is 0.3X or less is 50% or more relative to the total number of measurement points in the coating layer.

There is provided a novel Cu bonding wire that achieves a favorable FAB shape and achieve a favorable bond reliability of the 2nd bonding part even in a rigorous high-temperature environment. The bonding wire for semiconductor devices includes a core material of Cu or Cu alloy, and a coating layer having a total concentration of Pd and Ni of 90 atomic% or more formed on a surface of the core material. The bonding wire is characterized in that: in a concentration profile in a depth direction of the wire obtained by performing measurement using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) so that the number of measurement points in the depth direction is 50 or more for the coating layer, a thickness of the coating layer is 10 nm or more and 130 nm or less, an average value X is 0.2 or more and 35.0 or less where X is defined as an average value of a ratio of a Pd concentration C.sub.Pd (atomic%) to an Ni concentration C.sub.Ni (atomic%), C.sub.Pd/C.sub.Ni, for all measurement points in the coating layer, the total number of measurement points in the coating layer whose absolute deviation from the average value X is 0.3X or less is 50% or more relative to the total number of measurement points in the coating layer, and the bonding wire satisfies at least one of following conditions (i) and (ii): (i) a concentration of In relative to the entire wire is 1 ppm by mass or more and 100 ppm by mass or less; and (ii) a concentration of Ag relative to the entire wire is 1 ppm by mass or more and 500 ppm by mass or less.

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.