Abstract: A workpiece retainer used in, for instance, a bonding apparatus for holding a workpiece during bonding being provide with plate springs that are driven towards the workpiece. Before the workpiece is pressed by the retainer, the end portions of plate springs protrude further toward the workpiece than the retaining surface of the workpiece retainer. When the workpiece is pressed by the retainer, the plate springs undergo elastic deformation and are pulled in the direction opposite from the workpiece so that the workpiece is pressed against a heat block by the retaining surface of the workpiece retainer; and when the workpiece is conveyed, the workpiece retainer is separated from the workpiece by a predetermined distance so that the plate springs undergo elastic recovery, thus preventing the workpiece from contacting the workpiece retainer.

Abstract: In a wire bonding apparatus in which a wire is passed through a capillary that is provided at one end of a bonding arm and a damper that holds the wire is disposed directly above the capillary, the distance between the upper surface of the capillary and the undersurface of the damper is set as a very short distance as 1.5 mm or less.

Abstract: A wire bonding capillary (1), which is able to decrease wire extraction resistance and suitable for a long and low loop wire bonding process, comprises a through bore (5) for feeding a bonding wire, a funnel-shaped bore (3) for guiding the wire to the through bore, and a tapered portion (11) formed at an exit of the through bore. The through bore length is between 0.2 and 1.5 times the through bore diameter. The tapered portion is tapered in two steps.

Abstract: A wire bonding method and apparatus, in which after the tail of a wire extends out of a capillary, the capillary moves to a measurement position above a tail length measuring member; the capillary descends so that the end of the tail contacts the tail length measuring member; a position of the capillary or a distance by which the capillary is lowered at the time that electrical continuity is established with the tail length measuring member is detected; and the tail length is calculated based upon a height level of the tail length measuring member, the position of the capillary before being lowered for measuring the tail, and the position of the capillary when the wire contacts the tail length measuring member, or upon the height of the capillary above the tail length measuring member before lowering the capillary for measuring the tail, and a distance the capillary is lowered.

Abstract: In method for forming a ball on a bonding wire, the tip end of the bonding wire that extends from a capillary is bent toward a discharge electrode, and the capillary is moved obliquely so that the tip end of the tail of the bonding wire faces the discharge electrode, and then an electric discharge is performed between the discharge electrode and the tip end of the wire, thus forming a ball on the tip end of the wire.

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 wire bonding method, particularly a method for forming a ball at an end of a bonding wire that has an intended ball size, a tail length of the bonding wire extending from the lower end of a capillary is determined according to the size of the intended ball and the internal shape of the lower end portion of the capillary, and the wire end having such a tail length is melted up to the lower end surface of the capillary by a discharge produced by an electric torch so as to form a ball on the wire end.

Abstract: A wire bonding method for bonding a first bonding point and then a second bonding point by bonding wire that passes through a capillary including a reverse operation that moves the capillary in a direction opposite from a second bonding point after the bonding is done to the first bonding point, a damper is closed temporarily during the reverse operation so as to apply tension to the wire, thus forming a strong kink at an uppermost point of the neck height portion of a resulting wire loop between the first and second bonding points.

Abstract: In a fixed type discharge electrode system employed for forming a ball on a bonding wire so that a discharge electrode is provided near the tip end of a bonding wire, a gas, such as air, is blown to the spark discharged between the discharge electrode and the tip end of the bonding wire in the direction from the discharge electrode so as to bend the discharged spark and the discharged spark that faces the bonding wire is positioned beneath the bonding wire.

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: In a bonding method for bonding with a wire a first bonding point and then a second bonding point, a capillary that carries the wire is moved in a direction which is opposite from the first bonding point at the same time that an ultrasonic vibration is applied to the capillary during bonding to the second bonding point. Such a movement of the opposite direction can occur 10-20 ms after the application of the ultrasonic vibration at the second bonding point.

Abstract: In a pushing device used for, for example, lead frame bonding machines, a pusher which feeds out plate-form parts stacked in a storage magazine one by one is belt-driven by a motor so that the moving amount of the pusher (that is, a feed out distance of the plate-form part) can be adjusted as desired, making changeovers of the plate-form parts easy.

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.