Modelling aluminium wire bond reliability in high power OMP devices

Abstract

In a RF power application such as the OMP, the wires are subjected to high current (because of the high power) and high temperature (because of the heat from IC and joule-heating from the wire itself). Moreover, the wire shape is essential to the RF performance. Hence, the aluminium wire is preferred and wedge-wedge wire bonding is widely used. As a result of poor wire shape design, wedge break can be found. Additionally, for the in-shin wires, which are typically very high and can reach high temperatures, failure by wire melting can be reached.