An improvement is achieved in the reliability of a semiconductor device. Over a semiconductor substrate, an interlayer insulating film is formed and, over the interlayer insulating film, a pad is formed. Over the interlayer insulating film, an insulating film is formed so as to cover the pad. In the insulating film, an opening is formed to expose a part of the pad. The pad is a pad to which a copper wire is to be electrically coupled and which includes an Al-containing conductive film containing aluminum as a main component. Over the Al-containing conductive film in a region overlapping the opening in plan view, a laminated film including a barrier conductor film, and a metal film over the barrier conductor film is formed. The metal film is in an uppermost layer. The barrier conductor film is a single-layer film or a laminated film including one or more layers of films selected from the group consisting of a Ti film, a TiN film, a Ta film, a TaN film, a W film, a WN film, a TiW film, and a TaW film. The metal film is made of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Pd, Au, Ru, Rh, Pt, and Ir.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of first forming an aluminum (Al) pad on a substrate, forming a passivation layer on the substrate and an opening exposing the Al pad, forming a cobalt (Co) layer in the opening and on the Al pad, bonding a wire onto the Co layer, and then performing a thermal treatment process to form a Co—Pd alloy on the Al pad.

The present invention relates to a substrate for an optical device, which is configured to connect an optical element substrate and an electrode substrate in a fitting manner, and simultaneously, to form one or more bridge pads which are insulated from the optical element substrate by a horizontal insulating layer, on the optical element substrate. The substrate for an optical device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: an optical element substrate which is made of a metal plate and contains a plurality of optical elements therein; a pair of electrode substrates which are made of an insulating material to form a conductive layer on at least a portion of the upper surface thereof, are connected to both side surfaces of the optical element substrate, respectively, and are wire-bonded to the electrodes of the optical elements; and a fitting means which is formed on the side surfaces of the electrode substrate and the optical element substrate to fit the optical element substrate and the electrode substrate. The substrate for an optical device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: an optical element substrate which is made of a metal plate and contains a plurality of optical elements therein; a pair of electrode substrates which are made of a metal material to be connected to both side surfaces of the optical element substrate, respectively, and are wire-bonded to the electrodes of the optical elements; a fitting means which is formed on the side surfaces of the electrode substrate and the optical element substrate to fit the optical element substrate and the electrode substrate; and a fitting-type vertical insulating layer which is interposed between the optical element substrate and the electrode substrate so as to be connected to the fitting means.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of first forming an aluminum (Al) pad on a substrate, forming a passivation layer on the substrate and an opening exposing the Al pad, forming a cobalt (Co) layer in the opening and on the Al pad, bonding a wire onto the Co layer, and then performing a thermal treatment process to form a Co—Pd alloy on the Al pad.

A semiconductor device includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a wiring member, and a bonding material. The wiring member is connected to one of the first circuit and the second circuit. The bonding material is connected to the other of the first circuit and the second circuit. The wiring member includes a first end, a second end, and a top. The first end and the second end are connected to one of the first circuit and the second circuit. The top is located between the first end and the second end. The top is connected to the other of the first circuit and the second circuit with the bonding material in between.

A semiconductor device includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a wiring member, and a bonding material. The wiring member is connected to one of the first circuit and the second circuit. The bonding material is connected to the other of the first circuit and the second circuit. The wiring member includes a first end, a second end, and a top. The first end and the second end are connected to one of the first circuit and the second circuit. The top is located between the first end and the second end. The top is connected to the other of the first circuit and the second circuit with the bonding material in between.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of first forming an aluminum (Al) pad on a substrate, forming a passivation layer on the substrate and an opening exposing the Al pad, forming a cobalt (Co) layer in the opening and on the Al pad, bonding a wire onto the Co layer, and then performing a thermal treatment process to form a Co—Pd alloy on the Al pad.

The bonding wire being a Pd-coated copper bonding wire includes: a copper core material; and a Pd layer and containing a sulfur group element, in which with respect to the total of copper, Pd, and the sulfur group element, a concentration of Pd is 1.0 mass % to 4.0 mass % and a total concentration of the sulfur group element is 50 mass ppm or less, and a concentration of S is 5 mass ppm to 2 mass ppm, a concentration of Se is 5 mass ppm to 20 mass ppm, or a concentration of Te is 15 mass ppm to 50 mass ppm or less. A wire bonding structure includes a Pd-concentrated region with the concentration of Pd being 2.0 mass % or more relative to the total of Al, copper, and Pd near a bonding surface of an Al-containing electrode of a semiconductor chip and a ball bonding portion.

A semiconductor apparatus includes: a metal plate; a semiconductor device mounted on the metal plate; an external terminal electrically connected to the semiconductor device or the metal plate; a metal wire wire-bonded to the semiconductor device, the metal plate or the external terminal; and a package covering and resin-sealing the semiconductor device, the metal plate and the metal wire, wherein the metal wire is bonded to a top-layer electrode of the semiconductor device at a first bond and a second bond, and the metal wire includes a low loop that is positioned between the first bond and the second bond, is adjacent to at least one of the first bond and the second bond and is not in contact with the top-layer electrode.

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.