A semiconductor element encompasses a first external electrode on an upper surface side of a semiconductor chip, a second external electrode, spaced apart from the first external electrode, provided in parallel with the first external electrode; and a protective film covering the first and second external electrodes, having first and second windows to expose portions of upper surfaces of the first and second external electrodes, respectively. Planar patterns of the first and second windows are in two-fold rotational symmetry with respect to a center point of an area including the first and second external electrodes and to be asymmetric with respect to a center line between the first and second external electrodes.

A method of determining a bonding status between wire and at least one bonding location of a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) bonding a portion of wire to at least one bonding location of a semiconductor device using a bonding tool of a wire bonding machine; and (b) detecting whether another portion of wire engaged with the bonding tool, and separate from the portion of wire, contacts the portion of wire in a predetermined height range, thereby determining if the portion of wire is bonded to the at least one bonding location.

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor chip having a plurality of pads and wires electrically connected to the plurality of pads, respectively. The plurality of pads includes a plurality of first pads which is electrically connected to a circuit included in the semiconductor chip and to which first wires are bonded and a second pad which is an electrode pad for wire connection test and to which a second wire is bonded.

This wire clamp apparatus calibration method comprises: a step for driving a driving piezoelectric element by applying a predetermined frequency that causes a pair of arm portions to vibrate in an opening/closing direction; a step for detecting whether or not end portions of the pair of arm portions collide with each other on the basis of an output current outputted from the driving piezoelectric element when the pair of arm portions are vibrating in the opening/closing direction; a step for calculating, on the basis of the detection result, reference voltages in a state where the pair of arm portions are closed; and a step for performing calibration of a drive voltage to be applied to the driving piezoelectric element on the basis of the reference voltages. Accordingly, accuracy improvement and stabilization in an opening/closing operation of the wire clamp apparatus can be achieved.

Disclosed is a method of measuring a free air ball size during a wire bonding process of a wire bonder, which comprises a position sensor and a bonding tool for forming an electrical connection between a semiconductor device and a substrate using a bonding wire. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: forming a free air ball from a wire tail of the bonding wire; using the position sensor to determine a positional difference between a first and a second position of the bonding tool with respect to a reference position, wherein the first position of the bonding tool is a position of the bonding tool with respect to the reference position when the free air ball contacts a conductive surface; and measuring the free air ball size based on the positional difference of the bonding tool as determined by the position sensor. A wire bonder configured to perform such a method is also disclosed.

A wire bonding device for performing a wire bonding process includes: a bonding tool for inserting a wire; an ultrasonic vibrator; a drive mechanism for moving the bonding tool; and a control part. The control part performs: a bonding step of bonding the wire to a bonding point; a tail feeding out step of feeding out a wire tail from the wire bonded to the bonding point; a tension applying step of raising the bonding tool to apply tension to the wire while the wire is clamped; a tension release step of lowering the bonding tool to release the tension applied to the wire; and after performing a series of steps including the tension applying step and the tension release step at least once, a tail cutting step of raising the bonding tool to cut the wire tail from the wire.

A wire bonding apparatus of an aspect includes: a clamp apparatus, having a pair of arms; a stage, moving the clamp apparatus in a horizontal direction; a rod member; a contact detection part, detecting contact between the rod member and the clamp apparatus; and a control apparatus, controlling opening and closing of the pair of arms and an operation of the stage and acquiring position information of the clamp apparatus. The control apparatus obtains an opening amount of the pair of arms based on position information of the clamp apparatus at a time when an outer side surface of a first arm contacts the rod member in a state where the pair of arms are closed and position information of the clamp apparatus at the time when the outer side surface of the first arm contacts the rod member in a state where the pair of arms are open.

To provide a wire bonding apparatus, which is insusceptible to a bonding state at a second bonding point due to a wire cut error or the like, or to members such as a capillary and a wire, and is capable of automatically protruding the wire from a leading end of the capillary, provided is a wire bonding apparatus including: a capillary (6) having a through hole through which a wire (40) is to be inserted; a holding unit, which is provided above the capillary (6), and is configured to hold the wire (40) inserted through the capillary (6); and a vibrating unit configured to vertically vibrate the capillary (6). Under a state in which the holding unit holds the wire (40), the vibrating unit vertically vibrates the capillary (6) so that the wire (40) is protruded from the leading end of the capillary.

In a general aspect, a wire bonding apparatus can include a supply of bond wire, a wire bonding head, and an electrical continuity tester. The wire bonding head can including a wire cutter. The wire cutter can be electrically conductive. The electrical continuity tester can be coupled between the supply of bond wire and the wire cutter.

A wire bonding apparatus includes: a bonding tool 40 into and through a wire 42 passes; a control unit 80 that performs a movement process of the bonding tool 40 for cutting the wire 42 after forming a wire loop 90 between first and second bonding points of a bonding target 100; and a monitoring unit 70 that supplies a predetermined electric signal between the wire 42 through the bonding tool 40 and the bonding target 100, and monitors whether the wire 42 is cut or not based on an output of the supplied electric signal. The control unit 80 continues the movement process of the bonding tool 40 while the wire 42 is determined not to be cut, and stops the movement process of the bonding tool 40 when the wire 42 is determined to be cut, based on a monitoring result from the monitoring unit 70. This can shorten the operation time of the wire bonding, and improve the process efficiency of the wire bonding.