A bonding wire for a semiconductor device includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer on a surface of the Cu alloy core material, and contains Ga and Ge of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass in total, which is able to increase bonding longevity of the ball bonded part in the high-temperature, high-humidity environment, and thus to improve the bonding reliability. The thickness of the Pd coating layer is preferably 0.015 to 0.150 m. When the bonding wire further contains one or more elements of Ni, Ir, and Pt in an amount, for each element, of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass, it is able to improve the reliability of the ball bonded part in a high-temperature environment at 175 C. or more. When an alloy skin layer containing Au and Pd is further formed on a surface of the Pd coating layer, wedge bondability improves.

A process for manufacturing a bonding wire containing a core having a surface. The core contains 98.0% copper and has a cross sectional area of 75,00 to 600,000 m.sup.2 and an elastic limit RP0.2 (yield strength) of 40 to 95 N/mm.sup.2. The process involves (a) providing a copper core precursor; (b) drawing the precursor until a final diameter of the wire core is reached; and (c) annealing the drawn wire at a minimum annealing temperature of 650 to 1000 C. through its entire cross section for a minimum annealing time of 4 seconds to 2 hours.

A process for manufacturing a bonding wire containing a core having a surface. The core contains 98.0% copper and has a cross sectional area of 75,00 to 600,000 m.sup.2 and an elastic limit RP0.2 (yield strength) of 40 to 95 N/mm.sup.2. The process involves (a) providing a copper core precursor; (b) drawing the precursor until a final diameter of the wire core is reached; and (c) annealing the drawn wire at a minimum annealing temperature of 650 to 1000 C. through its entire cross section for a minimum annealing time of 4 seconds to 2 hours.

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer on a surface of the Cu alloy core material, and contains Ga and Ge of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass in total, which is able to increase bonding longevity of the ball bonded part in the high-temperature, high-humidity environment, and thus to improve the bonding reliability. The thickness of the Pd coating layer is preferably 0.015 to 0.150 m. When the bonding wire further contains one or more elements of Ni, Ir, and Pt in an amount, for each element, of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass, it is able to improve the reliability of the ball bonded part in a high-temperature environment at 175 C. or more. When an alloy skin layer containing Au and Pd is further formed on a surface of the Pd coating layer, wedge bondability improves.

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer on a surface of the Cu alloy core material, and contains Ga and Ge of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass in total, which is able to increase bonding longevity of the ball bonded part in the high-temperature, high-humidity environment, and thus to improve the bonding reliability. The thickness of the Pd coating layer is preferably 0.015 to 0.150 m. When the bonding wire further contains one or more elements of Ni, Ir, and Pt in an amount, for each element, of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass, it is able to improve the reliability of the ball bonded part in a high-temperature environment at 175 C. or more. When an alloy skin layer containing Au and Pd is further formed on a surface of the Pd coating layer, wedge bondability improves.