There is provided a bonding wire for semiconductor devices that exhibits a favorable bondability even when being applied to wedge bonding at the room temperature, and also achieves an excellent bond reliability. The bonding wire includes a core material of Cu or Cu alloy (hereinafter referred to as a “Cu core material”), and a coating containing a noble metal formed on a surface of the Cu core material. A concentration of Cu at a surface of the wire is 30 to 80 at%.

In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.

In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.

A semiconductor device 10 includes a pair of electrodes 16 and a conductive connection member 21 electrically bonded to the pair of electrodes 16. At least a portion of a perimeter of a bonding surface 24 of at least one of the pair of electrodes 16 and the conductive connection member 21 includes an electromigration reducing area 22.

A method of forming an electrical contact and a method of forming a chip package are provided. The methods may include arranging a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, arranging a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.

A method of forming an electrical contact and a method of forming a chip package are provided. The methods may include arranging a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, arranging a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.

In various embodiments, a method of forming an electrical contact is provided. The method may include depositing, by atomic layer deposition, a passivation layer over at least a region of a metal surface, wherein the passivation layer may include aluminum oxide, and electrically contacting the region of the metal surface with a metal contact structure, wherein the metal contact structure may include copper.

In various embodiments, a method of forming an electrical contact is provided. The method may include depositing, by atomic layer deposition, a passivation layer over at least a region of a metal surface, wherein the passivation layer may include aluminum oxide, and electrically contacting the region of the metal surface with a metal contact structure, wherein the metal contact structure may include copper.

A bonding wire for a semiconductor device includes a Cu alloy core material and a Pd coating layer formed on a surface thereof, and the boding wire contains one or more elements of As, Te, Sn, Sb, Bi and Se in a total amount of 0.1 to 100 ppm by mass. The bonding longevity of a ball bonded part can increase in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, improving the bonding reliability. When the Cu alloy core material further contains one or more of Ni, Zn, Rh, In, Ir, Pt, Ga and Ge in an amount, for each, of 0.011 to 1.2% by mass, it is able to increase the reliability of a ball bonded part in a high-temperature environment of 170 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.

In various embodiments, a chip package is provided. The chip package may include a chip, a metal contact structure including a non-noble metal and electrically contacting the chip, a packaging material, and a protective layer including or essentially consisting of a portion formed at an interface between a portion of the metal contact structure and the packaging material, wherein the protective layer may include a noble metal, wherein the portion of the protective layer may include a plurality of regions free from the noble metal, and wherein the regions free from the noble metal may provide an interface between the packaging material and the non-noble metal of the metal contact structure.