Au2029 Gold vs.

CM2030 Copper wire for metallic bonding with integrated

circuits

California State University Channel Islands

Instructor: Dr. Relle

Gina Fellizzolla

5/11/2025

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Table of Contents
▪ Abstract .................................................... [3]

▪ Introduction .......................................... [3-4]

▪ Electrical and Thermal Properties ............ [4-5]

▪ Mechanical Properties ............................ [5-6]

▪ Modes of Failure ..................................... [6-7]

▪ Conclusion ............................................. [8]

▪ References ............................................ [9-10]

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Abstract
This paper compares gold and copper bonding wires used in integrated circuits, focusing on their

electrical, mechanical, thermal, and economic properties. Gold wires offer excellent corrosion

resistance, high ductility, and bonding reliability, but at a significantly higher material cost.

Copper wires, while more conductive and cost-efficient, present challenges due to their higher

stiffness, strain hardening, and increased risk of chip damage during bonding. The study also

explores common failure modes such as Non-Stick on Pad (NSOP) and Chip Out Under the

Bump (COUB), highlighting how each metal's mechanical behavior influences long-term

performance and manufacturing reliability. Ultimately, the choice of bonding wire depends on

the application: gold for high-reliability, precision electronics, and copper for cost-sensitive,

high-volume devices.

Introduction
Integrated circuits (ICs) are essential electronic circuits that incorporate various components and

their interconnections onto a small, flat chip made of semiconductive material, which is usually

silicon. Their mass producibility, reliability and modular design have contributed to their

widespread use in modern electronics. The electrical connections between ICs and printed circuit

boards (PCBs) are typically established through a process called wire bonding. This process

forms stable intermetallic compounds that create a stronger, more conductive bond. Gold and

copper are typically used for bonding wires, AU2029 gold bonding wire is a pure gold wire of

purity 2N-4N (99.99%-99.9999%). Gold bond wire was the industry standard, but CM2030

copper bonding wire, a pure copper wire of purity 2N-4N is another common material choice

gaining popularity [3]. The materials will be compared based on their electrical, mechanical and

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thermal properties as well as their modes of failure and cost. This comparison will determine

which material combination is more suitable for specific applications that use microchips.

Electrical and Thermal Properties

The most important electrical characteristic when selecting a bonding wire is the ease with which

it transmits an electrical current, which is referred to as electrical conductivity[1]. Thermal

conductivity plays a crucial role in cooling electronic devices and circuits to maintain consistent

performance under thermal stress, so conductance of both metals will be compared. The room-

temperature electrical conductivity of copper is 6 x 107 Ωm-1, while gold is 4.3 x 107 Ωm-1 [1].

For a single wire with a length of 2mm and a diameter of 24.3 µm, copper outperforms gold in

both thermal and electrical conductivity [1]. Gold also has a lower melting point than copper [1],

so it’s not ideal for IC applications where sustained heat exposure can lead to chip failure. When

testing electrical stability under aging conditions with high temperature exposure, gold reaches

the failure threshold much quicker than copper does [13].

figure 1 – change in resistance of wires due to high temperature exposure

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Copper has the highest electrical conductivity rating of all non-precious metals, but it is however

susceptible to atmospheric, localized and galvanic corrosion [4]. This corrosion degrades the

wires and can lead to chip malfunctions that could potentially render the chip unusable. While

gold is less conductive than copper, the difference is not substantial; and gold is the most non-

reactive of all metals because it is highly inert [1]. So its anticorrosive properties alongside its

high thermal and electrical conductance still make it a good candidate for bonding wires in ICs.

Mechanical Properties

The mechanical properties of wires depend on the diameter of the wire, usually in

micrometers(µm), as well as the manufacturer of the wire. Size of the wires varies depends on

factors such as the size of the device and intended use, with a typical range in diameter of 10-38

µm [5]. The tensile strength of the wire ensures that it withstands mechanical stresses without

breaking, especially under high stress conditions. When looking at gold and copper wires with a

diameter of 37.5 µm , the tensile strength is 159 MPa and 222 MPa respectively [6]. The ductility

(%EL) of the wire enables them to be drawn into thin strands and bent without breaking. When

looking at 32.5 µm gold and copper bonding wires, gold wires have a ductility of 10-45% while

copper is 10-30%, making gold the more ductile material [7,8]. The hardness of the metal used

affects the ability to form reliable connections without excessive deformation. Examining 17.78

µm diameter bonding wires gives gold a Brinell Hardness Number of ~76 while copper’s is ~95

[9] which was converted from the Vickers hardness number using the approximate conversion

formula HV/0.95. Elasticity of the wire maintains consistent performance and mechanical

integrity over time through its ability to return to its original shape after stress. Young’s modulus

determines wire stiffness, which impacts connection stability, higher values reduce deformation

but raise the risk of wire breakage if excessively brittle. Young’s modulus given by a

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manufacturer as a reference value list gold bonding wires at 88.3 GPa while copper is 136 GPa

[5], so copper wires have a higher risk of wire breakage. The following figure which shows the

stress-strain graph of copper and gold bonding wires of 25 µm from different manufacturers [6],

high lighting the difference in properties based on the supplier.

Figure 2 – typical stress-strain curves of gold and copper wire

The graph shows that copper wires are harder to bond than gold because even when copper wires

are softened as much as possible, they’re still stronger and stiffer than gold wires. Gold doesn’t

get much harder when stretched while copper becomes tougher as its deformed.

Modes of Failure

Gold bonding wires typically fail due to Non-Stick on Pad (NSOP), Metal Peel Off (MPO),

switch failures and wire breaks. NSOP and MPO are caused by poor interfacial adhesion and low

shear strength, while switch failures reflect weak bonding at the second connection point [10],

shown in the following figures [10]:

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 figure 3 & 4 – NSOP and MOP failure

Wire breaks occur from stress or fatigue, indicating low tensile strength or ductility. Copper

bonding wires introduce distinct failure modes due to their higher yield modulus, which can lead

to localized stress concentrations during bonding. A noteworthy failure mode specific to copper

is called Chip Out Under the Bump (COUB), where mechanical stress during bonding damages

the underlying microchip, usually at the bump or bond interface. Figures 4 & 5 show an example

of this failure mode, where a piece of silicon below the frontend layers is pulled off when wire

bonding [10].

figure 4 & 5: COUB failure

This failure is directly tied to copper’s high yield strength and stiffness, which reduces its ability

to deform plastically under load [10].

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Cost

Gold has a much higher price than copper, with a cost of 18,600-20,900 in terms of $US/kg,

making it less accessible and ideal for everyday consumer electronics. Copper on the other hand

is priced at 5.6-7.0 $US/kg [1], so it is clearly much more affordable and practically priced for

use in common electronic devices and chips. This is because copper is much more abundant than

gold, and is ideal for electronic devices focused more on a lower price than quality. Use of

copper bonding wire reduces material costs by 90% to resolve the issue of steeply rising gold

prices impacting profits [5].

Conclusion

The comparison of the two metals shows the tradeoff between cost, performance, reliability and

lifespan of the ICs they are used in. Copper has superior electrical conductivity compared to

gold, but gold has the added advantage of better corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.

Copper is also more susceptible to stress-induced fracture when compared to gold. Based on the

findings, the best bonding wire material depends on the specific requirements for the ICs. Gold

bonding wires are best fit for high reliability devices where the specialized electronic

components are designed to meet stringent performance and reliability standards. Standard uses

for gold bonding wires are in-vitro diagnostics, imaging systems, cardiovascular therapy,

orthopedic and spinal devices, commercial aircrafts, satellites, and power generation systems

[11]. Copper bonding wires are best fit for high-volume and cost-effective devices such as

consumer electronics, automotive ICs, LEDs, MOSFETs, power transistors as well as memory

and logic ICs[12].

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REFERENCES

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2025].

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9. Semiconductor Engineering, Wirebonding is Here to Stay, [Online]. Available:

[Link] [Accessed: May 11, 2025].

10. A. E. Islam et al., “Wire bonding the future: A combined experimental and numerical

approach to improve the Cu-wire bonding quality,” ResearchGate, [Online]. Available:

[Link]

ned_experimental_and_numerical_approach_to_improve_the_Cu-wire_bonding_quality.

[Accessed: May 11, 2025].

11. Stanford Advanced Materials, 2029 Gold Bonding Wire, [Online]. Available:

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2025].

12. Stanford Advanced Materials, 2030 Copper Bonding Wire, [Online]. Available:

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11, 2025].

13. K. Watanabe et al., “Comparison of the Reliability of Cu, Au, Ag, and PCC Wire Bonds,”

SMTA International, [Online]. Available:

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