Bonding Wire Discharges in Integrated Circuit Packages

Abstract Electrostatic discharge damage to semiconductor devices may occur as a result unwanted charge entering the input circuity. Various input protection circuits offer some degree of protection from such occurences. Another source of discharge damage, which has not been widely reported, is that from breakdown of corona discharging between the bonding wires and earthed track which surrounds the edge of the circuit wafer. Such discharges have been experimentally recorded, and using Townsend sparking criteria, analysis of results shows that such breakdown discharges are possible within the confines of the integrated circuit system.