Study of copper connections uncovers route to improving the reliability of electronic devices
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 - 09:31
in Physics & Chemistry
One in five electronic-device failures is a result of corrosion. Bonds, the metal connections that enable the current to flow from one component to the next (see image), are a particular weak point. Understanding what causes this breakdown is important for extending the lifetime of a device. Kewu Bai and co‐workers at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore, have charted how moisture can affect the stability of the bonding and developed a scheme for improving the reliability of these connections.