Kulicke and Soffa Investments, Inc.

Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc.

Ilan Hadar

Beni Sonnenreich

Avishai Shklar

The present invention relates to post manufacturing operations for improving the working life of known bonding tools such as capillaries, wedges and single point TAB tools of the type used in the semiconductor industry to make fine wire or TAB finger interconnections. After the desired bonding tool is manufactured to predetermined specifications, dimensions and tolerances, it is placed in a sputtering chamber with hard target material with an ionizing gas. A controlled volume of sputtered hard material is generated at high temperature by plasma ion bombardment and deposited onto the working face of the bonding tool while the tool is held at a temperature that prevents distortion. A very thin amorphous hard layer is bonded onto the working face of the bonding tool which increases the working life of most tools by an order of magnitude and there is no requirement for additional processing.

Method for making improved long life bonding tools

Long life bonding tool

A fine pitch capillary bonding tool for making ball bonds having a consistent bonded ball size even though the air balls may vary in diameter is provided. The convential shaped bonding tool is provided with a novel ball constraining recess in the working tip. When an air ball is bonded it is forced into the constraining recess which has a shoulder portion for exerting a downward bonding force. The ball being bonded extrudes vertically into the constraining recess without laterial extrusion which would create mashed balls of varying diameter.

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Haifa, Israel

Ilan Hadar