Texas Instruments Corporation

Component Express Inc

James R Peterson

Rafael C Alfaro

Edward M Majors

The invention is a stacked tube component feeder with changeable parts to accommodate different size components. A feed station, including a channel, is mounted on a base. The feed station includes a slot for holding component tubes. A changeable component track is mounted in the channel, and a singulator is mounted on the component track to prevent the feeding of more than one component at a time to a changeable component nest. A removable nest is mounted on the base for receiving components from the removable component track, and transports the component between first and second positions on the base.

Quick change stacked tube feeder

The disclosure relates to a wire bonding capillary having a body with a cylindrical upper portion and a contiguous lower tip portion, the tip portion having an exterior inward taper and an internal bore extending through the body, the bore having a first substantially constant cross sectional region extending through the cylindrical portion, a second inwardly tapering region contiguous to the first region, a third substantially constant cross sectional region contiguous to the second region, a fourth outwardly tapering region contiguous to the third region and a fifth outwardly tapered region contiguous to the fourth region having greater outward taper than the fourth region. The fourth region has a taper from about forty-five degrees to about ninety degrees and preferably seventy degrees and is substantially bisected by the axis of the bore and the taper in the fifth region is from about one hundred degrees to about one hundred seventy degrees and preferably one hundred ten degrees and is substantially bisected by the axis of the bore.

Double cone wire bonding capillary

An electronic flame off (EFO) electrode used to form balls on bonding wire builds up layers of aluminum oxide during use. The aluminum oxide is removed by moving the EFO electrode next to a cleaning electrode, and causing a glow discharge to pass across the gap between them. The EFO electrode is charged negative with respect to the cleaning electrode, and a noble gas, such as argon, fills the region around the gap.

Method for cleaning an electrode

An apparatus and method of forming aluminum balls utilized for ball bonding. The aluminum balls are formed in a moist argon atmosphere by applying an electrical potential across a spark gap causing a spark to occur which causes the end of the aluminum wire to melt, forming an aluminum ball.

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Garland, TX, United States of America

James R Peterson