Abstract: An electric power generation system according to one embodiment is characterized by converting, and storing as potential energy, renewable energy such as wind power and wave power, and thereafter driving an electric power generation device with the released energy. Specifically, a storage device 3 of an electric power generation system 1 is provided with a plurality of sets of weights 30 and pulleys 36, and a wire 37 is hung on the pulleys 36. When the renewable energy rotates a winder 35 in a winding direction, potential energy is stored according to the weight of the weights 30 and the rising distance of the weights 30. When the winder 35 becomes rotatable in a direction opposite to the winding direction, the stored potential energy is released, becomes continuous power according to gravity and acceleration of the weights 30, and turns a generator connected to the winder 35.

Abstract: Provided is an electric power generation system with which, when converting energy of a flowing fluid, an electric power generation mechanism is located at a site different from a site that receives the energy of the flowing fluid, with energy transfer system by outer and inner cable.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus including a capillary having a through-hole through which a wire is inserted; an inert gas feed section for feeding inert gas containing reducing gas to a region on the tip end side of the bonding tool; and a gas blowing nozzle for blowing out inert gas containing reducing gas along a base end surface of the capillary including an opening of the through-hole. The pressure in the through-hole is made lower than the ambient pressure by the gas blown out of the gas blowing nozzle toward the opening of the base end of the capillary, so that the inert gas containing reducing gas blown out of the inert gas feed section flows through the tip end into the through-hole, thus preventing oxidation of the part of the wire inside the through-hole of the capillary.

Abstract: A ball forming device and method used in a bonding apparatus, including a bonding arm, a capillary attached to the bonding arm, an electronic flame off prove for forming a ball at the tip of a wire passing through the capillary, and a gas atmosphere forming unit for bringing the vicinity of the tip end of the wire into a gas atmosphere. The gas atmosphere forming unit is made of an inner wall element and an outer wall element with a hollow space section in between. The bonding arm side of the inner wall element has an inside open space which is wider than the portion of the bonding arm where the capillary is attached, and gas ejection ports are formed in the inner wall element. A gas supply pipe is connected to the outer wall element to supply, for instance, a reducing gas into the hollow space section.

Abstract: A ball forming device and method used in a bonding apparatus, including a bonding arm, a capillary attached to the bonding arm, an electronic flame off probe for forming a ball at the tip of a wire passing through the capillary, and a gas atmosphere forming unit for bringing the vicinity of the tip end of the wire into a gas atmosphere. The gas atmosphere forming unit is made of an inner wall element and an outer wall element with a hollow space section in between. The bonding arm side of the inner wall element has an inside open space which is wider than the portion of the bonding arm where the capillary is attached, and gas ejection ports are formed in the inner wall element. A gas supply pipe is connected to the outer wall element to supply, for instance, a reducing gas into the hollow space section.

Abstract: A ball forming device and method used in a bonding apparatus, including a bonding arm, a capillary attached to the bonding arm, an electronic flame off probe for forming a ball at the tip of a wire passing through the capillary, and a gas atmosphere forming unit for bringing the vicinity of the tip end of the wire into a gas atmosphere. The gas atmosphere forming unit is made of an inner wall element and an outer wall element with a hollow space section in between. The bonding arm side of the inner wall element has an inside open space which is wider than the portion of the bonding arm where the capillary is attached, and gas ejection ports are formed in the inner wall element. A gas supply pipe is connected to the outer wall element to supply, for instance, a reducing gas into the hollow space section.

Abstract: A ball forming device and method used in a bonding apparatus, including a bonding arm, a capillary attached to the bonding arm, an electronic flame off prove for forming a ball at the tip of a wire passing through the capillary, and a gas atmosphere forming unit for bringing the vicinity of the tip end of the wire into a gas atmosphere. The gas atmosphere forming unit is made of an inner wall element and an outer wall element with a hollow space section in between. The bonding arm side of the inner wall element has an inside open space which is wider than the portion of the bonding arm where the capillary is attached, and gas ejection ports are formed in the inner wall element. A gas supply pipe is connected to the outer wall element to supply, for instance, a reducing gas into the hollow space section.

Abstract: An initial ball forming method for wire bonding wire and wire bonding apparatus that uses: a capillary through which a wire is passed; a torch electrode made of a low-melting-point material that contains, for instance, tin; and a direct-current high voltage power supply. When the direct-current high voltage power supply is turned ON, a space discharge occurs between the tip end of the wire and the torch electrode, resulting in that the wire tip end melts and is formed into a ball and that the tin of the torch electrode is also heated to a high temperature and diffused into space, so that ionized plus tin ions are attracted to the tip end of the melted wire, thus causing tin to adhere to the surface of the ball-shaped tip end of the wire, and forming an initial ball that has a low-melting-point coating material adhered to its surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a plurality of pads P11, P12, P21, P22, P31, and P32 on the same plane of a semiconductor chip with wires W1, W2, and W3 connected between the pads P11 and P12, P21 and P22, and P31 and P32, respectively, so as to be electrically isolated from each other or without contacting each other. For the crossing and electrically isolated wires W1 and W2 respectively having pads P11 and P22 that are adjacently located very close, the wires are connected so that one pad P11 is set to be a first bonding point where a rising portion 12 of one wire W1 is bonded, and the other pad P22 is set to be a second bonding point to which a downwardly inclined end of the other wire W2 opposite from its cubic interchanging crossing and electrically isolated is bonded.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus having a capillary with a wire passing therethrough; and when the switch of a first direct-current high-voltage power supply is switched ON, a space discharge takes place between the tip end of the wire and a torch electrode, and the tip end of the wire is melted by the discharge, making a ball-form ball base. When the switch of a second high-voltage power supply is switched ON, a space discharge takes place between a pair of dissociated gas forming electrodes made of a coating material whose melting point is lower than that of the wire, so that a dissociated gas containing tin ions is formed. The ball base is positioned inside the dissociated gas, and thus, tin adheres to the surface of the ball base, and an initial ball with a low-melting-point coating material adhering to the surface is formed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic horn used in a wire bonding apparatus and includes a horn main body that has a capillary, which is at one end of the horn main body and through which a wire is passed, and a vibrator, which is at another end of the horn main body; and the horn main body being formed with at least two grooves that extends along the central axis of the horn main body. The cross-sectional shape of the portion of the horn main body where the grooves are formed is, for instance, left-right symmetry, top-bottom symmetry, or left-right and top-bottom symmetry; and the cross section of the portion of the horn main body where the grooves are formed, for instance, a cruciform shape, X shape, Y shape or H shape.

Abstract: A ball forming method and device used in a wire bonding apparatus in which a discharge is caused to occur by applying a high voltage between an electric torch and a tip end of a wire that extends out of a lower end of a capillary so as to form a ball at a tip end of the wire, and an insulating member is provided so as to cover the electric torch with a space between the vicinity of a discharge portion of the electric torch and the insulating member, a heater being further provided on the insulating member so as to heat such a space.

Abstract: A transducer for, for instance, a flip-chip bonding apparatus. The transducer has a passage that communicates between a piping attachment and a suction holding port that suction-holds an object to be processed (bonded); and in this transducer, an air pressure piping used for the suction is fastened to the piping attachment with a connecting member in between, and this connecting member made of foam styrol suppresses effects of reaction force of the air pressure piping.

Abstract: A wire bonding apparatus having a capillary with a wire passing therethrough; and when the switch of a first direct-current high-voltage power supply is switched ON, a space discharge takes place between the tip end of the wire and a torch electrode, and the tip end of the wire is melted by the discharge, making a ball-form ball base. When the switch of a second high-voltage power supply is switched ON, a space discharge takes place between a pair of dissociated gas forming electrodes made of a coating material whose melting point is lower than that of the wire, so that a dissociated gas containing tin ions is formed. The ball base is positioned inside the dissociated gas, and thus, tin adheres to the surface of the ball base, and an initial ball with a low-melting-point coating material adhering to the surface is formed.

Abstract: An initial ball forming method for wire bonding wire and wire bonding apparatus that uses: a capillary through which a wire is passed; a torch electrode made of a low-melting-point material that contains, for instance, tin; and a direct-current high voltage power supply. When the direct-current high voltage power supply is turned ON, a space discharge occurs between the tip end of the wire and the torch electrode, resulting in that the wire tip end melts and is formed into a ball and that the tin of the torch electrode is also heated to a high temperature and diffused into space, so that ionized plus tin ions are attracted to the tip end of the melted wire, thus causing tin to adhere to the surface of the ball-shaped tip end of the wire, and forming an initial ball that has a low-melting-point coating material adhered to its surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a wafer stage that carries a semiconductor wafer. The wafer stage is formed at its wafer carrying surface with a porous metal portion, thus allowing the attractive force arising from the Coulomb force between the wafer and wafer stage to be reduced and avoiding sticking of the wafer to the wafer stage.

Abstract: An ultrasonic horn used in a wire bonding apparatus and includes a horn main body that has a capillary, which is at one end of the horn main body and through which a wire is passed, and a vibrator, which is at another end of the horn main body; and the horn main body being formed with at least two grooves that extends along the central axis of the horn main body. The cross-sectional shape of the portion of the horn main body where the grooves are formed is, for instance, left-right symmetry, top-bottom symmetry, or left-right and top-bottom symmetry; and the cross section of the portion of the horn main body where the grooves are formed, for instance, a cruciform shape, X shape, Y shape or H shape.

Abstract: A transducer for, for instance, a flip-chip bonding apparatus. The transducer has a passage that communicates between a piping attachment and a suction holding port that suction-holds an object to be processed (bonded); and in this transducer, an air pressure piping used for the suction is fastened to the piping attachment with a connecting member in between, and this connecting member made of foam styrol suppresses effects of reaction force of the air pressure piping.

Abstract: A ball forming method and device used in a wire bonding apparatus in which a discharge is caused to occur by applying a high voltage between an electric torch and a tip end of a wire that extends out of a lower end of a capillary so as to form a ball at a tip end of the wire, and an insulating member is provided so as to cover the electric torch with a space between the vicinity of a discharge portion of the electric torch and the insulating member, a heater being further provided on the insulating member so as to heat such a space.

Abstract: An ultrasonic horn used in, for instance, a bonding apparatus, being provided with a capillary attachment hole formed so as to be smaller than the capillary and a jig insertion hole that communicates with the capillary attachment hole. By way of inserting a jig into the jig insertion hole, the jig insertion hole is pushed open that causes the capillary attachment hole to be widened, so that the capillary is inserted and received in this enlarged capillary attachment hole. The capillary is fastened in place by the elastic force that is generated when the capillary attachment hole returns to its original shape, and the capillary is held in the horn main body without using any fastening tools.