Broken Wire

Broken Wire in failure analysis refers to wire bond fractures that cause electrical opens in semiconductor packages, a common failure mode in packaged ICs.

## What Is Broken Wire Failure?

  • Location: Can occur at ball neck, loop span, or stitch heel
  • Causes: Mechanical stress, thermal fatigue, corrosion, vibration
  • Detection: Electrical open test, X-ray imaging, decapsulation
  • Failure Rate: Increases with thermal cycling and wire length

## Why Broken Wire Analysis Matters

Wire bonds are often the weakest link in packages. Understanding failure modes guides design improvements and reliability predictions.

Common Fracture Locations: Loop stress point ╭────────────╮ ○═══│ │═══○ │ ↑ ↑ │ Ball Neck Heel Stitch bond crack crack bond

Failure Analysis Steps:
1. Electrical characterization (identify open pins)
2. X-ray inspection (non-destructive)
3. Acoustic microscopy (detect cracks)
4. Decapsulation and optical inspection
5. SEM analysis of fracture surface
6. Root cause determination (mechanical, chemical, thermal)

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