Abstract: A circuit pattern 2a, made of copper foil, is arranged on a substrate 1. A nickel-containing barrier metal layer 2b is formed on the circuit pattern 2a. A gold layer 2c is formed on the barrier metal layer 2b by electroless substitution plating. Then, substrate 1 is heated up to impel nickel contained in the gold layer 2c to move toward a surface zone of the gold layer 2c to deposit nickel compound in the surface zone of the gold layer 2c, thereby enhancing the fineness of a remaining part of the gold layer 2c at at least an inside zone immediately below the surface zone. Then, the surface zone containing the crowded nickel compound is removed off the gold layer 2c so as to expose a purified surface of the inside zone of the gold layer 2c. Therefore, it becomes possible to form an excellent electrode having satisfactory bondability to the wire by using a less amount of gold at low costs.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus and a plasma etching method for conducting a plasma etching treatment for a substrate to be treated placed on one of parallel plate electrodes disposed oppositely to each other in a treatment chamber, wherein gas supplying device is used to supply a mixed gas including oxygen and a fluorine gas in the treatment chamber and the plasma discharge is conducted between the parallel plate electrodes under the condition that the product PL of a distance L[m] between the plate electrodes and the pressure P[Pa] of the mixed gas in the treatment chamber takes a value within 2.5[Pa·m] to 15[Pa·m] so as to efficiently perform an etching treatment, at a low cost, and in uniform.

Abstract: There are disclosed a surface treatment apparatus and a wire bonding apparatus which are compact in size, have a high processing ability, are simple in construction, and achieve a low cost The surface treatment apparatus includes a base having a transfer path for transferring an object, a lid provided above the base for movement into and out of contact with an upper surface of the base, the lid contacting the base to form a sealed space on the upper surface of the base, an engagement and disengagement mechanism for moving the lid into and out of contact with the base, a transfer mechanism for feeding the object, disposed on the transfer path, into and out of a position beneath the lid when the lid is out of contact with the base, and a treatment portion for surface treating electrodes of the object disposed in the sealed space A wire bonding mechanism is provided at a downstream portion of the transfer path.

Abstract: In a plasma cleaning device for a substrate, a vacuum chamber is arranged on a base board and made up of a lid which is opened and closed when necessary, and an electrode to which a high frequency power supply applies high frequency voltage includes an upper electrode, a middle electrode, and a lower electrode. The upper electrode is inside the vacuum chamber, and serves as a means for laying a substrate to be plasma-cleaned. The upper electrode has protrusions for guiding a substrate which is conveyed. In the device, the substrate which has been plasma is slid on the upper electrode while being guided by the protrusions, thus being conveyed to a wire bonding unit. When a kind of substrate is changed to another one, only the upper electrode is replaced with another one which corresponds in size to the new substrate.

Abstract: Nickel films 22, 25 are formed on copper pads 21, 24 on a substrate 11, and gold layers 23, 26 are further formed on the nickel films 22, 25. To suppress formation of compound of gold and tin which spoils reliability of soldering, formation of gold layers 23, 26 on the nickel films 22, 25 is effected by very thin substitutional plating method. As a result, a solder bump 17 is formed favorably. Besides, an nickel oxide film 32 formed on the surface of the gold layer 23 is removed by plasma etching. As a result, bonding of wire 15 is also excellent.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device includes the step of: preparing a wafer on which a protective film is formed except for the area of an aluminum electrode formed on the wafer; etching an oxide film present on the aluminum electrode formed on the wafer thereby removing the oxide film; forming a metal film on the wafer; put an adhesive tape on the wafer so that the adhesive tape adheres to the wafer; and peeling off the adhesive tape. Since the adhesion between the metal film and the protective film is weak and the adhesion between the metal film and the aluminum electrode is strong, the metal film on the protective film is peeled off while the portion of the metal film present on the aluminum electrode remains unremoved. The metal film remaining on the aluminum electrode has good conformability with a solder bump, and thus it is possible to obtain good wettability between the solder bump and the aluminum electrode in the process of forming the solder bump on the aluminum electrode.

Abstract: There are disclosed a surface treatment device and a wire bonding device which are compact in size, have a high processing ability, are simple in construction, and achieve a low cost. The surface treatment device includes a base having a transfer path for transferring an object, a lid provided above the base for movement into and out of contact with an upper surface of the base, the lid contacting the base to form a sealed space on the upper surface of the base, an engagement and disengagement mechanism for moving the lid into and out of contact with the base, a transfer mechanism for feeding the object, disposed on the transfer path, into and out of a position beneath the lid when the lid is out of contact with the base, and a treatment portion for surface treating electrodes of the object disposed in the sealed space. A wire bonding mechanism is provided at a downstream portion of the transfer path.

Abstract: A circuit pattern 2a, made of copper foil, is arranged on a substrate 1. A nickel-containing barrier metal layer 2b is formed on the.circuit pattern 2a. A gold layer 2c is formed on the barrier metal layer 2b by electroless substitution plating. Then, substrate 1 is heated up to impel nickel contained in the gold layer 2c to move toward a surface zone of the gold layer 2c to deposit nickel compound in the surface zone of the gold layer 2c, thereby enhancing the fineness of a remaining part of the gold layer 2c at at least an inside zone immediately below the surface zone. Then, the surface zone containing the crowded nickel compound is removed off the gold layer 2c so as to expose a purified surface of the inside zone of the gold layer 2c. Therefore, it becomes possible to form an excellent electrode having satisfactory bondability to the wire by using a less amount of gold at low costs.

Abstract: A voltage is applied between a first cleaning electrode that in contact with an electrode on a workpiece such as a printed circuit board or a chip, and a second cleaning electrode located in the vicinity of the electrode on the workpiece, from a voltage application circuit so as to produce an electric discharge on the electrode on the workpiece, whereby contamination sticking to the electrode on the workpiece is locally removed by heat generated from the electric discharge.

Abstract: An electrode of a chip and an electrode of a substrate are connected by a wire drawn out from a lower end of a capillary tool. When the wire accidentally gets into the capillary tool and thus is not drawn out from the lower end of the capillary tool, a suction unit is operated to automatically draw out the wire from within the capillary tool using a suction force. A cutter is provided in the suction unit for cutting the sucked wire such that the wire of a given length remains to be drawn out from the lower end of the capillary tool.

Abstract: The wire bonding method of the present invention comprises a step of removing a thin surface layer of an electrode comprising a copper layer and a nickel layer formed on the surface of the copper layer and coated with gold on the surface, to thereby remove nickel hydroxide and nickel oxide present on the gold film and a step of electrically connecting a pad of a semiconductor chip fixed with a bonding agent on the substrate through an electrically conductive wire to the nickel hydroxide nickel oxide-eliminated electrode.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing electronic components known as TAB method comprises a process employing a single apparatus for forming bumps in a chip, a process of inner lead bonding for bonding said bumps to leads of a film carrier, and a process of outer lead bonding for bonding the leads to a circuit board after punching said film carrier. The bumps are formed by plating means or by stud bump means using a capillary tool. In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus by which it is possible to form the bumps and to perform the inner lead bonding in a single apparatus. The capillary tool for forming the inner lead bonding and a pressing tool for the inner lead bonding are replaceably and selectively mounted to be held on a horn. Also, there are provided a pickup head for moving the chip furnished in a chip feeding unit to the chip stage and a moving table for moving the chip stage.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing electronic components known as TAB method comprises a process employing a single apparatus for forming bumps in a chip, a process of inner lead bonding for bonding said bumps to leads of a film carrier, and a process of outer lead bonding for bonding the leads to a circuit board after punching said film carrier. The bumps are formed by plating means or by stud bump means using a capillary tool. In another aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus by which it is possible to form the bumps and to perform the inner lead bonding in a single apparatus. The capillary tool for forming the inner lead bonding and a pressing tool for the inner lead bonding are replaceably and selectively mounted to be held on a horn. Also, there are provided a pickup head for moving the chip furnished in a chip feeding unit to the chip stage and a moving table for moving the chip stage.