Abstract: Image processing for detecting the position of a workpiece such as a semiconductor device employed in, for instance, wire boding including the step of obtaining first position (coordinates) of leads by way of imaging the leads individually after positioning the leads of a sample workpiece one at a time in the center of visual field of a camera, the step of obtaining second position (coordinates) of such respective leads by imaging all the leads that are in the visual field at one time, and the step of storing the differences between the first position and the second position in memory as a correction amount. Upon actual product manufacturing, the correction amount is added to the position (coordinates) of the respective leads of the workpiece obtained by collective imaging of the leads, thus obtaining the actual bonding point (coordinates) for the workpiece.

Abstract: In a wire cutting and feeding device used in a wire bonding apparatus, piezo-electric actuators are used as the driving source of a slide block which moves wire clamper toward and away from a workpiece upon which bonding is performed. The piezo-electric actuators include a feeding piezo-electric actuator, which causes expansion and contraction of the slide block, and two clamping piezo-electric actuators, which are alternately operated and clamp the slide block. The slide block is caused to move by means of respective power-"on"/power-"off" combinations of the feeding piezo-electric actuator and the two clamping piezo-electric actuators.

Abstract: A wire bonding method in the manufacture of, for instance, a semiconductor device in which first bonding points or pads of a chip and second bonding points or leads of a lead frame are connected by wires, and the bonding by wires is initiated from one end of the row of the first bonding points (pads) and is successively performed in one direction toward a center of the row, and after bonding has been performed up to an approximate center of the row, then bonding is initiated from another end of the row in the opposite direction toward the center of the row.

Abstract: In a ball forming method used in manufacturing semiconductor devices, a ball is formed at the end of a bonding wire, this ball is pressed against an electrode of a semiconductor device and bonded to the electrode, a capillary is raised by a predetermined amount, and an ultrasonic vibration is applied to the capillary so that a portion of the wire located between the bonded ball and the lower end of the capillary is caused to undergo resonant vibration. This resonant vibration separates the wire from the bonding ball, thus leaving the ball on the electrode as a bump.

Abstract: A capillary for a wire bonding apparatus having a wire threading hole and a chamfer, in which the wire threading hole is formed in two stages as first and second wire threading holes, the diameter of the first wire threading hole which is located above the second wire threading hole exceeds the diameter of a bonding wire by no more than 3 to 8 microns, the diameter of the second wire threading hole is 5 to 10 microns greater than the first hole diameter, and the depth of the second wire threading hole is 10 to 50 microns.

Abstract: In a capillary used in a wire bonding apparatus that has a wire threading hole through which a bonding wire of 10 to 30 .mu.m diameter passes and is provided with two chamfers, i.e., lower and upper chamfers, near the tip end of the wire threading hole, the upper chamfer has a chamfer angle of 3 to 19 degrees and a depth of 20 to 50 microns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the position, size and/or shape of a ball formed on a pad of a semiconductor chip when a wire is bonded between the pad and a lead of a lead frame. The ball is detected in at least three directions from the center of the ball towards the edge of the ball.

Abstract: A non-contact type moving table including a guide table having a flat guide surface at the top and a moving table which placed on the guide table and has a moving surface which faces the guide surface of the guide table. The moving table has air blowing openings that blow out compressed air towards the guide surface of the guide table and air suction openings sucking from the guide surface of the guide table, thus obtaining a single plane, non-contact type bearing or supporting system via the guide surface and the moving surface. As a result, the structure is simple and overall size can be small with low manufacturing costs. In addition, a wide range of materials can be used to build the moving table system.

Abstract: A non-contact type moving table including a guide table having a flat guide surface at the top and a moving table which is placed on the guide table and has a moving surface which faces the guide surface of the guide table. The moving table has air blowing openings that blow out compressed air towards the guide surface of the guide table and air suction openings sucking air from the guide surface of the guide table, thus obtaining a single plane, non-contact type bearing or supporting system via the guide surface and the moving surface. As a result, the structure is simple and overall size can be small with low manufacturing costs. In addition, a wide range of materials can be used to build the moving table system.

Abstract: A non-contact type moving table including a guide table having a flat guide surface at the top and a moving table which is placed on the guide table and has a moving surface which faces the guide surface of the guide table. The moving table has air blowing openings that blow out compressed air towards the guide surface of the guide table and air suction openings sucking air from the guide surface of the guide table, thus obtaining a single plane, non-contact type bearing or supporting system via the guide surface and the moving surface. As a result, the structure is simple and overall size can be small with low manufacturing costs. In addition, a wide range of materials can be used to build the moving table system.

Abstract: A bonding apparatus with an ultrasonic horn for manufacturing, for example, semiconductor devices having a horn support that is used for mounting the ultrasonic horn to a bonding arm of the bonding apparatus, and tow vibration-generating sources are provided on both sides of the horn support. The vibration-generating sources are such a piezoelectric element as an electrostrictive strain element and a magnetostrictor.

Abstract: In inspecting a bend of a wire which is bonded to, for example, a semiconductor device, a straight scale line with scale markings of constant intervals and a bonded-point line, both lines crossing each other at right angles, are shown on a monitor. An image of a wire that has a bend is monitored by a camera and displayed on a monitor. By overlapping the image of the bend of the wire on the scale line and then reading a scale marking which is closest to the bend of the wire, it is possible to ascertain the amount of the bend of the wire.

Abstract: A non-contact type moving table including a guide table having a flat guide surface at the top and a moving table which is placed on the guide table and has a moving surface which faces the guide surface of the guide table. The moving table has air blowing openings that blow out compressed air towards the guide surface of the guide table and air suction openings sucking air from the guide surface of the guide table, thus obtaining a single plane, non-contact type bearing or supporting system via the guide surface and the moving surface. As a result, the structure is simple and overall size can be small with low manufacturing costs. In addition, a wide range of materials can be used to build the moving table system.

Abstract: A non-contact type moving table system comprising a guide table and a moving table. The guide table and the moving table have air holes and vacuum holes on the surfaces facing each other, and compressed air is blown out of the air holes so that a space is created between the moving table and the guide tale, thus the moving table can move above the guide table without making contact with the guide table. In addition, vacuum suction is applied between the guide table and the moving table so that the moving table is stabilized on the guide table. Several modifications are obtained by combining pairs of the guide table and the moving table so that the moving table is moved in any desired horizontal direction. The non-contact type moving table can be simple in structure, compact in size, light in weight and is manufactured at low costs.

Abstract: A bonding apparatus including an ultrasonic horn that has a bonding tool, a horn support, which is for mounting the ultrasonic horn to a bonding arm of the bonding apparatus, and vibration-generating sources provided on both sides of the horn support. These vibration-generating sources are operated to generate vibrations by an ultrasonic oscillation device that operates the vibration-generating sources via separate outputs.

Abstract: A pair of clamping arms of a wire clamper used in a wire bonding apparatus being opened and closed via the electric strain effect or magnetic strain effect of a piezoelectric element. With the use of a piezoelectric element that expands when energized to open the clamping arms so as to release the wire held by the clamping arms, the overall weight of the wire clamper can be small, a quick clamping action is secured and the clamping force which is easily adjustable can be steady at a set value.

Abstract: In a wire bonding apparatus and method which reduces variances of the length of tails of bonding wires without increasing the total wire cutting time, a capillary and a wire cutting clamp are moved up fast 10 and then slowly 11, after the wire is bonded to a second bonding point 1, to a-point slightly below a desired tail length S, and then the capillary and the clamp are moved up slowly 12 so that the clamp is closed to cut the wire and then moved up fast 13 and slowly 14 again.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus in fabricating, for example, semiconductor devices including a bonding arm that is vertically and horizontally movable and has a capillary through which a bonding wire is passed. The bonding arm is provided with a piezoelectric element which transmits a vibration to the capillary via its electric strain effect or magnetic strain effect so that the capillary performs wire bonding. With the use of the piezoelectric element that is provided near the capillary, vibrational energy loss can be minimal, and the frequency and amplitude of the vibration can be changed during each bonding operation.

Abstract: In order to avoid an excessive wire loop curvature at a second bonding point, a wire bonding is performed with the steps of: moving the capillary, after the wire is connected to a first bonding point, toward the second bonding point, and right before the capillary comes above the second bonding point, the capillary is moved down obliquely so that the capillary is positioned exactly above the second bonding point, and then the capillary is moved down straight so that the wire is pressed against the second bonding point.

Abstract: Method for bonding inner leads installed on a tab tape, which is fed in one direction in a bonding line, to electrodes of semiconductor elements via ultrasonic vibrations applied to a bonding tool mounted at one end of horn is performed in such a manner that the direction in which the ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the bonding tool is in the range of 30 to 60 degrees, preferably 45 degrees, with respect to the direction in which the tab tape is fed so that the bonding tool oscillates in such angles.