Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer includes an elongated transducer body with an aperture for mounting a piezoelectric driver stack for driving the ultrasonic transducer to operate at a first resonant frequency, a mounting flange for mounting the transducer body to a wire bonding machine, a rigid connecting member having first and second ends which are respectively connected to the mounting flange and the transducer body at a first nodal vibration region of the transducer body when the ultrasonic transducer is operated at the first resonant frequency and a flexible connecting member extending between the mounting flange and the transducer body at a second nodal vibration region of the transducer body when the ultrasonic transducer is operated at the first resonant frequency.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer that is configured to selectively operate at first or second resonant frequency during wire bonding operations includes an elongated transducer body an aperture for mounting a piezoelectric driver stack for driving the ultrasonic transducer to operate at the first or second resonant frequency and a mounting flange connected to the transducer body at a first nodal vibration region of the transducer body when the ultrasonic transducer is operated at the first resonant frequency. The elongated transducer has a length substantially equal to two wavelengths of a first oscillatory wave that is transmitted along the length of the transducer body when the transducer is operated at the first resonant frequency, and substantially equal to a half wavelength of a second oscillatory wave that is transmitted along the length of the transducer body when the transducer is operated at the second resonant frequency.

Abstract: A force sensor for determining a bonding force during wire bonding operations includes: a piezoelectric sensing element mounted in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic wire bonding device, the piezoelectric sensing element including a first portion and a second portion, and first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the first surface of the first portion has a positive electrode and the second surface of the first portion has a negative electrode respectively, and the first surface of the second portion has a negative electrode and the second surface of the second portion has a positive electrode respectively.

Abstract: A force sensor for determining a bonding force during wire bonding operations includes: a piezoelectric sensing element mounted in an ultrasonic transducer of an ultrasonic wire bonding device, the piezoelectric sensing element including a first portion and a second portion, and first and second opposing surfaces, wherein the first surface of the first portion has a positive electrode and the second surface of the first portion has a negative electrode respectively, and the first surface of the second portion has a negative electrode and the second surface of the second portion has a positive electrode respectively.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for mounting a transducer to a bond head of a wire bonder. In particular, the bond head of the wire bonder is operative to mechanically drive the transducer when forming electrical interconnections between separate locations within a semiconductor package. Specifically, the apparatus comprises: i) a flexural structure having a connector for connecting to the transducer, the flexural structure being configured to bend; and ii) at least one actuator attached to the flexural structure, the at least one actuator being operative to bend the flexural structure to thereby cause a displacement of the transducer connected thereto via the connector.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for mounting a transducer to a bond head of a wire bonder. In particular, the bond head of the wire bonder is operative to mechanically drive the transducer when forming electrical interconnections between separate locations within a semiconductor package. Specifically, the apparatus comprises: i) a flexural structure having a connector for connecting to the transducer, the flexural structure being configured to bend; and ii) at least one actuator attached to the flexural structure, the at least one actuator being operative to bend the flexural structure to thereby cause a displacement of the transducer connected thereto via the connector.

Abstract: A bonding tool and method for bonding a semiconductor chip to a surface is provided wherein the bonding tool includes a bonding tip comprising a ceramic material, preferably titanium carbide. The bonding tip is operative to hold the chip and a bonding energy generator such as an ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the bonding tip for applying bonding energy to the bonding tip and the chip to bond the chip to the surface. The bonding tip may further include martensite such that the titanium carbide is present in a hard phase and the martensite is present in a soft phase as a binder for the same.

Abstract: A transducer for a wire bonding apparatus is formed of two separate parts sandwiching therebetween a plurality of piezoelectric elements. One of the two parts is the amplifying horn, and by selecting appropriate sizes and shapes for the two parts, vibrational energy can be concentrated at the distal end of the amplifying horn where the bonding tool is located.

Abstract: A transducer for a wire bonding apparatus is formed of two separate parts sandwiching therebetween a plurality of piezoelectric elements. One of the two parts is the amplifying horn, and by selecting appropriate sizes and shapes for the two parts, vibrational energy can be concentrated at the distal end of the amplifying horn where the bonding tool is located.

Abstract: Piezoelectric transformers have a number of favorable characteristics over traditional electromagnetic tranformers. However, the construction of piezoelectric transformers tends to be complicated, which may result in increasing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, such complex constructions may raise difficulties in the miniaturization of such devices. A ring-shaped piezoelectric transformer is developed in this invention for low voltage applications. One surface of the transformer is covered by two disc or ring-shaped electrodes separated by a ring-shaped separating segment, and the regions covered by the disc or ring-shaped electrodes served as the input and output parts of the transformer. This transformer may be fabricated relatively easily due to its simple structure. Furthermore, its size and thickness may be reduced relatively easily without increasing the difficulty of the fabricating process. The transformer may be used separately or in parallel.

Abstract: A transducer for a wire bonding apparatus is formed of two separate parts sandwiching therebetween a plurality of piezoelectric elements. One of the two parts is the amplifying horn, and by selecting appropriate sizes and shapes for the two parts, vibrational energy can be concentrated at the distal end of the amplifying horn where the bonding tool is located.

Abstract: Piezoelectric transformers have a number of favorable characteristics over traditional electromagnetic tranformers. However, the construction of piezoelectric transformers tends to be complicated, which may result in increasing manufacturing cost. Furthermore, such complex constructions may raise difficulties in the miniaturization of such devices. A ring-shaped piezoelectric transformer is developed in this invention for low voltage applications. One surface of the transformer is covered by two disc or ring-shaped electrodes separated by a ring-shaped separating segment, and the regions covered by the disc or ring-shaped electrodes served as the input and output parts of the transformer. This transformer may be fabricated relatively easily due to its simple structure. Furthermore, its size and thickness may be reduced relatively easily without increasing the difficulty of the fabricating process. The transformer may be used separately or in parallel.

Abstract: There is described a rotary motor in which a rotor disc is driven by a plate-like driving member comprising a laminate of piezoelectric material sandwiched between outer layers of anisotropic material. When a voltage is applied to the rotor disc the driving member expands into driving contact with the rotor disc and--at the same time--owing to the anisotropy of the outer layers, twists with a torsional movement and this torsional movement imparts a rotary movement to the rotor disc.