Alexander Coucoulas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
Alexander Coucoulas is an American inventor, research engineer, and author. He was
named "Father Of Thermosonic Bonding" by George Harman,[1] the world's foremost
authority on wire bonding, where he referenced Coucoulas's leading edge publications
in his book, Wire Bonding In Microelectronics.[2][3]
A Thermosonic bond is formed using a set of parameters which include ultrasonic,
thermal and mechanical (force) energies. Figure 1 (below) shows a diagram of a
Thermosonic Bonding machine which includes a magnetostrictive or piezoelectric-
type transducer which is used to convert electrical energy into vibratory motion. The
vibratory motion travels along the coupler system, a portion which is tapered to serve as
the velocity transformer. The velocity transformer amplifies the oscilliatory motion and
delivers it to a heated bonding tip.
Thermosonic bonding is widely used to electrically connect silicon integrated
circuit microprocessor chips[4][5] into computers as well as a myriad of other electronic
devices that require wire bonding.

Wires connected to a silicon integrated circuit using thermosonic bonding

As a result of Coucoulas introducing thermosonic bonding lead wires in the early 1960s,

its applications and scientific investigations by researchers throughout the world have
grown as confirmed by the thousands of Google search-sites. The all-important proven
reliability of thermosonic bonding, as confirmed by these investigations, has made it the
process of choice for connecting these crucially important electronic components. And
since relatively low bonding parameters were shown to form reliable thermosonic
bonds, the integrity of the fragile silicon integrated circuit chip central processor
unit or CPU, is assured throughout its intended lifetime use as the "brains" of the
computer.

Contents
  1Personal background
 2Engineering research
o 2.1Thermosonic bonding
 2.1.1Growing Applications Of Thermosonic Bonding
o 2.2Compliant bonding
o 2.3Extruding silica glass tubes for making optical fibers
o 2.4AlO bonding used to form a photonic switch
o 2.5Microstructure of Solid Carbon Dioxide ("Dry Ice")
 3Awards
 4Some Publications And Presentations
 5See also
 6References

Personal background[edit]
Coucoulas retired from AT&T Bell Labs as a member of the technical staff in 1996
where he pioneered research in the areas of electronic/photonics packaging, laser
technology and optical fibers which resulted in numerous patents, and publications. He
was twice awarded best paper which he presented at the 20th and 43rd IEEE Electronic
Components Conference for "Compliant Bonding" in 1970 " [6] and AlO Bonding in
1993 [7] both of which were his patented inventions. [8][9] His Ionian-Greek immigrant
parents were born in the Biblical city of Smyrna. His single-parent father, Demetrios
(James) Koukoulas (as a maimed Smyrnaean Greek soldier), was rescued from the
coastal waters of the Aegean sea by a Japanese naval cruiser while in view and during
the devastating Fire of Smyrna in September 1922. The Japanese cruiser brought him
to Pereaus, Greece where he immigrated to The United States via Ellis Island on the SS
King Alexander in November of that same year.[10][11]
Coucoulas is a native New Yorker who served in the US Army as a combat engineer in
the Far East Command in the early 1950s, and was awarded the National Defense
Service Medal for the Korean War (1950-1954). He then obtained his undergraduate
and graduate degrees in Metallurgical Engineering and Material Science at New York
University which was financed by the GI Bill, a graduate scholarship and part-time jobs
in the New York Metropolitan area. His graduate thesis was under the tutorage of Dr.
Kurt Komarek, who is a former Rector (President) and present professor emeritus of the
University Of Vienna. Coucoulas co-authored a paper with Dr. Komarek which included
his thesis,.[12] His spouse, Marie Janssen Coucoulas, played a significant supportive role
throughout his professional career while also contributing to the welfare of learning
disabled children in the capacity of a professional Learning Consultant. His daughters,
Diane and Andrea, distinguished themselves as a University of North Carolina
Professor and elementary student counselor respectively.

Engineering research[edit]
Thermosonic bonding[edit]
As mentioned above, in the mid 1960s, Alexander Coucoulas, [2][3] reported the first
thermosonic wire bonds using a combination of heat, ultrasonic vibrations and pressure
which led to his first invention. He first set up a commercial ultrasonic wire bonder
(capable of transmitting vibratory energy and pressure) in order to investigate the
attachment of aluminum wires to tantalum thin films deposited on glass substrates
which simulated bonding a lead wire to the fragile metallized silicon integrated circuit
"chip". He observed that the ultrasonic energy and pressures levels needed to
sufficiently deform the wire and form the required contact areas significantly increased
the incidences of cracks in the glass or silicon chip substrates. A means of heating the
bond region was then added to the ultrasonic bonder. The bond region was then heated
during the ultrasonic bonding cycle which virtually eliminated the glass failure mode
since the wire dramatically deformed to form the required contact area while using
significantly lower ultrasonic energy and pressure levels. The enhanced wire
deformation during the ultrasonic bonding cycle was attributed to the transition from cold
working (or strain hardening of the wire) to near hot working conditions where its
softness was enhanced. As the bonding temperature was increased the onset of
recrystallization (softening mechanism) occurs where the strain hardening is most
extensive. Thus the dual mechanisms of thermal softening and ultrasonic softening
which is caused by vibratory energy interacting at the atomic lattice level, [13] facilitated
the desired wire deformation. Christian Hagar [14] and George Harman[4] stated that in
1970 Alexander Coucoulas[3] reported additional work in forming thermosonic-type
bonds which he initially called hot work ultrasonic bonding. In this case, copper wires
were bonded to palladium thin films deposited on aluminum oxide substrates. As a
result of these earliest reported thermosonic wire bonds, G.Harman [4] stated "as such,
Alexander Coucoulas is the Father of Thermosonic Bonding". At present, the majority of
connections to silicon integrated circuits (the chip) are made using thermosonic bonding
because it employs lower bonding temperatures, forces and dwell times than
thermocompression bonding, as well as lower vibratory energy levels than ultrasonic
bonding, to form the required bond area. As a result of using lower bonding parameters
to form the required contact area, Thermosonic Bonding largely eliminates damaging
the relatively fragile silicon integrated circuit micro-chip during the bonding cycle. The
proven reliability of thermosonic bonding has made it the process of choice, since such
potential failure modes could be costly whether they occur during the manufacturing
stage or detected later, during an operational field-failure of a micro-chip which had
been permanently connected inside a computer or a myriad of other electronic devices.
Another example showing the importance and reliability of using thermosonic bonding
was when L Burmeister et al. of Hamburg University, Germany, reported that using
solely ultrasonic power to bond gold wires to YBa2Cu3O7 microstructures, such as
microbridges, Josephson junctions and superconducting interference devices (DC
SQUIDS) can degrade them. Burmeister et al. stated that the problem was overcome by
using Coucoulas's thermosonic bonding process where it left the microstructure device
intact so they could be employed. [15]
Growing Applications Of Thermosonic Bonding[edit]
At present, the majority of connections to the silicon integrated circuit chip are made
using thermosonic bonding[16] because it employs lower bonding temperatures, forces
and dwell times than thermocompression bonding, as well as lower vibratory energy
levels and forces than ultrasonic bonding to form the required bond area. Therefore, the
use of thermosonic bonding eliminates damaging the relatively fragile silicon integrated
circuit chip during the bonding cycle. The proven reliability of thermosonic bonding has
made it the process of choice, since such potential failure modes could be costly
whether they occur during the manufacturing stage or detected later, during an
operational field-failure of a chip which had been connected inside a computer or a
myriad of other microelectronic devices.
Thermosonic bonding is also used in the flip chip process which is an alternate method
of electrically connecting silicon integrated circuits.
Josephson effect and superconducting interference (DC SQUID) devices use the
thermosonic bonding process as well. In this case, other bonding methods would
degrade or even destroy YBaCuO7 microstructures, such as microbridges, Josephson
junctions and superconducting interference devices [17] (DC SQUID).
When electrically connecting light-emitting diodes with thermosonic bonding techniques,
an improved performance of the device has been shown. [18]
Compliant bonding[edit]

"Compliant Bonding" was awarded best paper presentation and publication at the 1970 IEEE Electronic
Components Conf. Click photo to read original file resolution.
"Compliant Bonding" Patent. Click above to read Original File

Following his pioneering of thermosonic bonding, Coucoulas invents "Compliant

Bonding[19] which was a means of solid-state bonding the extended electroformed leads
of a "beam leaded Chip" to the outside world. It was a unique method of solid state
bonding in that the bonding energy (heat and pressure) was transmitted through a
compliant aluminum tape. The compliant tape overcame the thickness variations of the
beam leads and also acted as a chip carrier to the bonding site. In 1971, he was
awarded best paper-presentation for "Compliant Bonding" [6] which was among more
than 90 papers presented at the 20th IEEE Electronic Components Conference in 1970
by engineers and research scientists from around the world.
Click pictures to enlarge view

Stages of compliant bonding gold wires to a gold metallized surface

Click picture to enlarge
 


 Silicon integrated circuits showing attached and extended
electroformed beam leads around the silicon chip
 

Wires solid state bonded directly to the metallized pads of a silicon

integrated circuit chip
 

Hard faced bonding tool simultaneously bonding all of the extended

beam leads
 

Compliant bonding a beam leaded silicon integrated circuit showing the

indented compliant member after bonding the "chip"

Extruding silica glass tubes for making optical fibers[edit]

The first step in producing optical waveguides by the MCVD optical fiber process is
making highly concentric fused silica tubes with a minimal variation along their entire
length which translates into the critical ovality of the final optical fiber. Coucoulas
proposed and reported the making of extruded fused silica tubes that closely followed
the Poiseulle-Hagen equation for laminar flow and thus produced cladding tubes with
dimensional properties required for making acceptable optical fibers. [20] Coucoulas with
collaborative colleagues was awarded patents regarding the tube making process. [21][22]
Method To Extrude Glass Tubing for Making Optical Fibers Click above to read Original File.

Apparatus To Extrude Glass Tubes for Making Optical Fibers Click above to read Original File.

AlO bonding used to form a photonic switch[edit]

AlO Bonding Patent Click above to read Original File

Twenty-three years after being awarded best paper for "Compliant Bonding" as
mentioned above, Coucoulas was again awarded Outstanding Paper at the 43rd
Electronic Components and Technology Conference in 1993 (which he presented and
co-authored with his collaborative colleagues). It was titled,"AlO Bonding: A Method of
Joining Oxide Optical Components to Aluminum Coated Substrates." [23] He also was
awarded a U.S. patent for inventing AlO Bonding. [9]
Microstructure of Solid Carbon Dioxide ("Dry Ice")[edit]
His first industrial research position was at Air Reduction Central Research facility in
New Jersey where he investigated and co-authored a paper in the Transactions of the
Metallurgical Society of AIME entitled, "Some Observations on the Microstructure and
Fragmentation of Solid Carbon Dioxide" [24] with the following abstract:
Solid carbon dioxide (dry ice), which exists metastably as a constantly subliming
molecular solid in a normal room temperature environment, was shown to exhibit many
microstructural features which are similar to those observed in metals and ceramics at
temperatures approaching their melting points. An investigation was made of factors
affecting a costly brittleness condition known as "sandiness" which occurred in
manufactured blocks of dry ice (polycrystalline solid carbon dioxide). The sandiness
was found to be highly dependent on specific manufacturing and storage conditions that
cause excessive grain growth which leads to a concentration of gas filled pores in the
decreasing grain boundary regions.

Awards[edit]
Best paper and presentation for "Compliant Bonding" at the 20th Electronic
Components Conference 1970 in Washington, D.C. (Awarded at the 21st Conference in
1971)
Certificate Of Appreciation For Advancing Microelectronics Technology, International
Society For Hybrid Microelectronic (Indiana Chapter) 1971.
Outstanding paper and presentation for "AlO Bonding: A Method of Joining Oxide
Optical Components to Aluminum Coated Substrates"at 43rd Electronic Components
and Technology Conference in 1993.(Awarded at the 44th Conference in 1994)

Some Publications And Presentations[edit]

Physical Design Of Electronic Systems; co-authored Integrated Device And Connection
Technology: Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (1971)
Thin Film Technology; co-author; Robert E. Krieger Publication Company; Huntington
N.Y. (1979)
Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum Leads to Tantalum Thin Films, Transactions
Metallurgical Society of AIME, 1966
Hot Work Ultrasonic Bonding – A Method Of Facilitating Metal Flow By Restoration
Processes, Proceedings 20th IEEE Electronic Components Conf. Washington, D.C.,
May 1970,
Compliant Bonding, Proceedings 1970 IEEE 20th Electronic Components Conference,
1970.
"Extrusion Of Fused Silica Cladding Tubes For Making MCVD Optical Fibers, Third
International Conference On Integrated Optics and Optical Fiber Communications,
Technical Digest, San Francisco, Calif., April 1981.
AlO Bonding: A Method Of Joining Oxide Optical Components to Aluminum Coated
Substrates (co-authored), Proceedings of the 43rd Electronic Components and
Technology Conference, 1993.
Intra-company course for engineers entitled "Metallurgy Of Metal Bonding".

See also[edit]
Thermosonic Bonding

References[edit]
1. ^ Harman, G., Wire Bonding In Microelectronics, McGraw-Hill, Chapt.
2, pg.36, also search Coucoulas at https://www.amazon.com/WIRE-
BONDING-MICROELECTRONICS-3-E/dp/0071476237/ref=sr_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354948679&sr=1-
1&keywords=wire+bonding+in+microelectronics#_ search Coucoulas
2. ^ Jump up to:a b Coucoulas, A., Trans. Metallurgical Society of AIME,
"Ultrasonic Welding of Aluminum Leads to Tantalum Thin Films",
1966, pp. 587–589.
abstract https://sites.google.com/site/coucoulasthermosonicbondalta
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c Coucoulas, A., "Hot Work Ultrasonic Bonding – A Method
Of Facilitating Metal Flow By Restoration Processes", Proc. 20th IEEE
Electronic Components Conf. Washington, D.C., May 1970, pp. 549–
556.https://sites.google.com/site/hotworkultrasonicbonding
4. ^ Jump up to:      Harman, G., Wire Bonding In Microelectronics, McGraw-
a b c

Hill, 2010 ISBN 0-07-147623-7
5. ^ T.R. Reid, "The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip
and Launched a Revolution"
6. ^ Jump up to:a b A.Coucoulas, "Compliant Bonding" Proceedings 1970
IEEE 20th Electronic Components Conference, pp. 380-89, 1970.
7. ^ A.Coucoulas, Benzoni, A.M., Dautartas, M.F., Dutta, R., Holland,
W.R., Nijander, C.R., Woods, R.E., AlO Bonding: A Method Of Joining
Oxide Optical Components to Aluminum Coated Substrates, pp 471-
481, Proceedings of the 43rd Electronic Components and Technology
Conference,
1993,https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3565139_AlO_bonding
_a_method_of_joining_oxide_optical_components_toaluminum_coate
d_substrates
8. ^ http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/patents/3533155.htm The Chip
Collection – US Patent 3,533,155 – Smithsonian Institution
smithsonianchips.si.edu/patents/3533155.htmCached United States
Patent 3,533,155. October 13, 1970. Bonding With A Compliant
Medium Alexander Coucoulas Filed July 6, 1967. Image of US
PATENT 3,533,155
9. ^ Jump up to:a b "Compression bonding methods".
10. ^ "Edgar Quinet Class".
11. ^ Dobkin, Marjorie Housepian. Smyrna 1922: The Destruction of a
City. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1971; 2nd ed. Kent, Ohio:
Kent State University Press, 1988, pp.102,174,117-121.
12. ^ K.L. Komarek, A. Coucoulas, and N. Klinger, Journal of the
Electrochemical Society,V.110,No.7,July
1963 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233854987_thesispubli
cation
13. ^ F. Blaha, B. Langenecker. Acta Metallurgica, 7, 1957)
14. ^ Hagar, C (2000) Lifetime Estimation of Aluminum Wire Bonds based
on Computational Plasticity, PhD thesis
15. ^ Burmeister, L.; et al. (1994). "Thermosonic bond contacts with gold
wire to YBa2Cu3o7 microstructures". Superconductor Science and
Technology. 7  (8): 569–
572.  Bibcode:1994SuScT...7..569B.  doi:10.1088/0953-2048/7/8/006.
16. ^ Harman, G., Wire Bonding In Microelectronics, McGraw-Hill, Ch. 2,
p. 36
17. ^ Burmeister, L.; Reimer, D.; Schilling, M. (1994). "Thermosonic bond
contacts with gold wire to
YBa2Cu3O7  microstructures".  Superconductor Science and
Technology. 7  (8): 569–
572.  Bibcode:1994SuScT...7..569B.  doi:10.1088/0953-2048/7/8/006.
18. ^ Seck-Hoe Wong et al. (2006) "Packaging Of Power LEDs Using
Thermosonic Bonding Of Au-Au Interconnects", Surface Mount
Technology Association International Conference.
19. ^ http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/patents/3533155.htm The Chip
Collection – US Patent 3,533,155 – Smithsonian Institution
smithsonianchips.si.edu/patents/3533155.htmCached United States
Patent 3,533,155. October 13, 1970. Bonding With A Compliant
Medium Alexander Coucoulas Filed July 6, 1967. Image of US
PATENT 3,533,155
 20. ^ A. Coucoulas, "Extrusion Of Fused Silica Cladding Tubes (for
making MCVD Optical Fibers), Third International Conference On
Integrated Optics and Optical Fiber Communications, Technical
Digest, San Francisco, Calif., April 1981.
21. ^ Coucoulas et al. U.S.patent 4.195,982
22. ^ Coucoulas et al, U.S. patent 4,350,513
23. ^ A. Coucoulas, Benzoni, A.M., Dautartas, M.F., Dutta, R., Holland,
W.R., Nijander, C.R., Woods, R.E., AlO Bonding: A Method Of Joining
Oxide Optical Components to Aluminum Coated Substrates, pp 471-
481, Proceedings of the 43rd Electronic Components and Technology
Conference,
1993 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/3565139_AlO_bonding
_a_method_of_joining_oxide_optical_components_toaluminum_coate
d_substrates
24. ^ A. Coucoulas and E. Gregory, "Some Observations on the
Microstructure and Fragmentation of Solid Carbon Dioxide",
Transactions Of The Metallurgical Society of AIME (American Institute
of Metallurgical Engineering), pg. 1134–42, volume 227, October
1963. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229079078_Some_Ob
servations_On_the_Microstructure_and_Fragmentation_of_Solid_Car
bon_Dioxide

Categories: 
 American inventors
 1933 births
 Living people
 Semiconductor device fabrication
 Packaging (microfabrication)
 United States Army personnel of the Korean War
 American people of Greek descent
Navigation menu
 Not logged in
 Talk
 Contributions
 Create account
 Log in
 Article
 Talk
 Read
 Edit
 View history
Search
Search Go

 Main page
 Contents
 Current events
  Random article
 About Wikipedia
 Contact us
 Donate
Contribute
 Help
 Learn to edit
 Community portal
 Recent changes
 Upload file
Tools
 What links here
 Related changes
 Special pages
 Permanent link
 Page information
 Cite this page
 Wikidata item
Print/export
 Download as PDF
 Printable version
In other projects
 Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Add links
 This page was last edited on 25 August 2021, at 03:23 (UTC).
 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
 Privacy policy

 About Wikipedia

 Disclaimers

 Contact Wikipedia

 Mobile view

 Developers

 Statistics

 Cookie statement