Alternative robust reliability solution for silver finishing

In this paper, a silver adhesion promoter process, namely “AgPrep” was introduced for the semiconductor leadframes. The concept of how AgPrep works to improve the adhesion between the silver surface of a leadframe and the epoxy molding compound (EMC) was presented. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was also carried out to study the chemical state of the silver surface after AgPrep´s treatment. Besides, the surface energy of AgPrep´s treated silver was characterized through the contact angle measurements using a drop shape analyzer. Finally, the adhesion performance of AgPrep process was verified in the button shear tests and a series of reliability tests.