In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip comprising a chip metal surface, a metal contact structure electrically contacting the chip metal surface, a packaging material at least partially encapsulating the chip and the metal contact structure, and a chemical compound physically contacting the packaging material and at least one of the chip metal surface and the metal contact structure, wherein the chemical compound may be configured to improve an adhesion between the metal contact structure and the packaging material and/or between the chip metal surface and the packaging material, as compared with an adhesion in an arrangement without the chemical compound, wherein the chemical compound is essentially free from functional groups comprising sulfur, selenium or tellurium.

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 semiconductor device is provided that includes a bond pad, an insulating layer, and a bonding structure. The bond pad is in a dielectric layer and the insulating layer is over the bond pad; the insulating layer having an opening over the bond pad formed therein. The bonding structure electrically couples the bond pad in the opening. The bonding structure has a height that at least extends to an upper surface of the insulating layer.

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a bond pad, an insulating layer, and a bonding structure. The bond pad is in a dielectric layer and the insulating layer is over the bond pad; the insulating layer having an opening over the bond pad formed therein. The bonding structure electrically couples the bond pad in the opening. The bonding structure has a height that at least extends to an upper surface of the insulating layer.

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 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.

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.

A noble metal-coated silver bonding wire suppresses corrosion at the bonding interface under severe conditions of high temperature and high humidity, and the noble metal-coated silver bonding wire can be ball-bonded in the air. The noble metal-coated silver wire for ball bonding is a noble metal-coated silver wire including a noble metal coating layer on a core material made of pure silver or a silver alloy, wherein the wire contains at least one sulfur group element, the noble metal coating layer includes a palladium intermediate layer and a gold skin layer, the palladium content relative to the entire wire is 0.01 mass % or more and 5.0 mass % or less, the gold content relative to the entire wire is 1.0 mass % or more and 6.0 mass % or less, and the sulfur group element content relative to the entire wire is 0.1 mass ppm or more and 100 mass ppm or less.

A noble metal-coated silver bonding wire suppresses corrosion at the bonding interface under severe conditions of high temperature and high humidity, and the noble metal-coated silver bonding wire can be ball-bonded in the air. The noble metal-coated silver wire for ball bonding is a noble metal-coated silver wire including a noble metal coating layer on a core material made of pure silver or a silver alloy, wherein the wire contains at least one sulfur group element, the noble metal coating layer includes a palladium intermediate layer and a gold skin layer, the palladium content relative to the entire wire is 0.01 mass % or more and 5.0 mass % or less, the gold content relative to the entire wire is 1.0 mass % or more and 6.0 mass % or less, and the sulfur group element content relative to the entire wire is 0.1 mass ppm or more and 100 mass ppm or less.