Abstract: A wire is positioned in intimate contact with a microcircuit chip above a conductor line or pad on the chip. The line is protected by a layer of passivating or insulating material deposited upon the chip. A short pulse, focussed, energy source such as a laser beam drills a hole through or on the edge of the wire, and also opens a hole drawn through the insulating material to expose the conductor line. Then energy is directed upon the portion of the wire surrounding the hole to melt metal from the wire down into the hole which coalesces with molten metal below to form an electrical and mechanical bond of the wire to the line.

Abstract: Pulsed light is applied through a plano concave lens to a thin metal film, which is evaporated on the concave side of the lens. The lens, which is formed of a high thermally insulating material such as glass, for example, and the film are disposed within a liquid such as water, for example. The pulsed light is absorbed by the metal film, which converts the thermal energy produced by the pulsed light into elastic waves in the form of acoustic waves and simultaneously focuses the acoustic waves on an object within the water at a selected focal plane. The metal film is as thin as possible, consistent with complete absorption of the light energy by the metal film, so as to utilize the high thermal expansion coefficient of the water.