APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR WIRE BONDING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably achieve the formation of fine bonding balls with high accuracy by reducing an impact load applied when detecting the contact of a wire with a target to be bonded, and to shorten bonding time. SOLUTION: A wire bonding arm comprises a Z driving shaft 3 that is swingably attached via a first spindle 2 to a Z axis base 1, and a low pressure application shaft 6 that has a capillary 8, is swingably attached via a second spindle 5 to one end side of the Z driving shaft 3, and has a smaller inertia than that of the Z driving shaft 3. The capillary 8 moves downward by swings of the Z driving shaft 3 to the height position where an initial ball 13 almost comes in contact with a first bonding point 14 and then, while the Z driving shaft 3 is kept in the same state, moves further downward by making the only low pressure application shaft 6 swing at a low speed. When the initial ball 13 comes in contact with the first bonding point 14, prescribed pressure and ultrasonic vibration are applied to the initial ball so that the initial ball is bonded to the first bonding point 14. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO