Additive copper metallization of semiconductors for enabling a copper wire bonding process

Current societal and political trends such as climate protection have brought demands and regulations for ever-increasing efficiency in energy applications. The decentralized supply of energy and the integration of regenerative energy sources are also demands which concern both politics and society as well as industry. Especially the electronics industry with power electronics is developing rapidly under these trends and always finds new fields of application. Here, power modules function as a link between energy sources and energy consumers. Consequently, high demands are placed on an efficient assembly and connection technology of future power electronics modules. Current technologies, such as wire bonding, have limitations in terms of compact design and thermal management, thereby focusing on improved interconnect technologies and materials. In the framework of this paper, a plasma-based coating process for the additive copper coating of semiconductors in order to enable a copper wire bonding process is presented.