Jon

The whole semiconductor industry was using gold wire bond on 1u AL pads for
decades so you should be able to do it.

The wafers are usually shipped to offshore sites for bonding where they go
grind and other processes that will not leave the AL fresh.

Try to ask a capillary or a bonder manufacturer for tips, I'm sure they will
tell you the settings (I haven't done this for 20 years and my memory....)

Shay

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
On Behalf Of Jon R. Fox
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2009 8:18 PM
To: General MEMS discussion
Subject: Re: [mems-talk] Aluminum Bond pad reference

Given current market conditions for precious metals, avoiding gold is
a premium on making a device as inexpensively as possible. Gold
etching is pretty easy, as naturally is making gold ball bonds to gold
bond pads. I'm going to try to lightly wet etch my aluminum right
before bonding and see if that works. Also I can try an Ar sputter
etch of th he aluminum to clean off the bond sites. I have to be
careful not to etch off any thin, small devices (non-Al).

I'll keep consulting Harman's book. Anyone have a good source for an
inexpensive bond-pull tester? I'd like to quantify my bond strength.
Something for a small fab or lab.

Thanks,
Jon