Bogert,

I would not say this is a new problem.  It has been around since plastic encapsulated modules originated.

At the very least, pop-corning will rip wires up, mechanical overstress on the leads can disrupt bonds, contaminated mold compound could eat the bond pads off the IC..... I am sure there are a bunch more.

On the positive side, most of these issues have been addressed and virtually put to bed.  Humidity control during storage helps minimize pop-corning, control over reflow parameters and mechanical stress during lead-form, etc. all help minimize problems.  The mold compound is supposed to be clean and free of halides, etc.

However, I still would rather have a hermetic chip and wire device within a pacemaker!!  :-) 

Someone trying to "put the fear into you"?


                 Go hermetic!!


Steven Creswick - Gentex Corporation


-----Original Message-----
From: Bogert [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 5:41 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Integrated Circuit Internal Bond Wire Failures - Seeking
Information Concerning


January 21, 2004

Folks, although this question may not be appropriate for this forum, does anyone out there have any information or technical data regarding internal bond-wire failures in non-hermetic integrated circuits (IC).  It is my understanding that this is a recently uncovered problem where the internal bonds in IC''s are failing open due to presence of molecular moisture in the IC, or by outside contamination sources (e.g. 
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copper).

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