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AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsJoseph Anthony Abys, Igor Veljko Kadija, Edward John Kudrak, Jr., Joseph John Maisano, Jr.
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A lead frame comprising an ultra-thin composite of noble metal layers on a nickel surface is disclosed. The composite ranges from 2.5 to 11 microinches in thickness and includes in succession from nickel, a 0.5 to 3.5 microinches of palladium or gold strike, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium-nickel alloy layer having 10 to 90 weight percent nickel by weight of the alloy, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium layer, and a 0 to 1 microinch thick gold layer. The gold layer is being used whenever it is desirable to achieve high speed of solder wetting, relative to the speed of solder wetting of palladium. Viable ultra-thin coatings are most effectively obtained by deposition of the layers in a reel-to-reel metal deposition process.
An IC package comprising at least one IC unit, and leads sealed within a protective package, in which said leads comprise a base metal, a layer of nickel on the base metal, and a composite of metal layers on top of nickel, said composite is deposited in a thickness ranging from 2.5 to 11 microinches, the composite including, in succession from nickel, a 0.5 to 3.5 microinches thick palladium or soft gold strike layer, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium-nickel alloy layer having 10 to 90 weight percent nickel, by weight, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium layer, and a 0 to 1 microinch thick gold layer.
A lead frame for providing an electrical contact to an integrated circuit unit, comprising a plurality of leads electrically connected to the integrated circuit, each lead comprising a base metal, a nickel layer on the base metal, and a composite of metal layers deposited on the nickel layer, wherein said composite is from 2.5 to 11 microinches thick, the comprising in succession from the nickel layer a 0.5 to 3.5 microinches thick palladium or soft gold strike layer, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium-nickel alloy layer having from 10 to 90% nickel, by weight, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium layer, and a 0 to 1 microinch thick gold layer.
An article of manufacture comprising a base metal, a layer of nickel upon the base metal, and a composite of layers on the nickel layer, said composite being from 2.5 to 11 microinches in thickness and including, in succession from the nickel layer, a 0.5 to 3.5 microinches thick palladium or soft gold strike layer, a 0.5 to 5 microinches thick palladium-nickel alloy layer having from 10 to 90% nickel by weight, a 0.5 to 5 microinches palladium layer, and a 0 to 1 microinch thick gold layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.