9 ms·
Why gold wires instead of copper?
by jtchang 5y ago
Why gold wires instead of copper?
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- kens 5y agoGold wires were used for bonding in integrated circuits too. I think because gold is much more ductile, so you can make thin wires that won't break. It's also more resistant to corrosion, which is a problem with copper wire.
- pfdietz 5y agoDoesn't copper interact badly with silicon?
- kens 5y agoI don't know about copper-silicon interactions, but normally you'd bond to a metal pad, not to silicon directly. For a while, the "purple plague" was a problem when gold bond wires reacted badly with aluminum bond pads, forming a purple compound. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold%E2%80%93aluminium_intermetallic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold%E2%80%93aluminium_interme...
- jacquesm 5y agoThe fact that it is more ductile probably also helps with the welding process.
- syntaxing 5y agoA lot of high performance chips like hybrids (the chip, not cars) are gold bonded. Mainly because its a good conductor and super inert (metal behave funny in contact in space, oxygen is earth's "memory" after all).
- AnimalMuppet 5y ago> oxygen is earth's "memory" after all Could you explain what you mean by this?
- LaMarseillaise 5y agoThey may be referring to ‘cold welding’. Oxygen lets metals ‘remember’ what they are connected to. References: - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_welding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_welding - https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nQ8isf55s https://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2nQ8isf55s
- canadianfella 5y ago> metal behave funny *behaves