A method utilizing cold welding to prepare grain boundaries having different included angles includes using a device including a support member. Two bent members are arranged opposite to each other in the support member. One ends of the two bent members are both fixedly connected to the support member, one end, away from the support member, of any bent member is fixedly connected to a first sample, one end, away from the support member, of the other bent member is fixedly connected to a second sample, and the first sample and the second sample are arranged corresponding to each other. The bent member includes a first metal sheet and a second metal sheet having different thermal expansion coefficients. An angle between the first sample and the second sample during butt welding can be controlled by changing an included angle of a bimetallic sheet.

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.

An ultrasound horn is provided which vibrates a bonding tool, attached at a tip, in a plurality of directions with a simple structure. There is provided an ultrasound horn having: a longitudinal vibration generator; a horn portion; and a torsional vibration generator. The torsional vibration generator includes a body including a polygonal pillar portion, second layered elements in which a plurality of second piezoelectric elements are layered, and which are attached to side surfaces of the polygonal pillar portion, weights, and a pressure application ring which applies a pressure by pressing the second piezoelectric elements against the polygonal pillar portion via the weights.

The steel cord cut end preparation device comprises a set of clamps for clamping a length of steel cord, a rotating driving unit for driving the clamped length of steel cord to be over-twisted and at least one cutter for cutting the steel cord at the over-twisted portion to make a cut end of steel cord, the steel cord cut end preparation device further comprises a heating unit for heating the clamped length of steel cord and a controller for controlling the heating unit and the rotating driving unit, so that the clamped length of steel cord is heated during, before or after it is over-twisted. By using this device, the steel cord welding success ratio is increased.

An ultrasonic welding apparatus joins metal pieces, such as wires, which are placed in a weldment zone where the metal pieces are subjected to pressure through a compressive height anvil and an adjustable width anvil, and intimate contact is made with a sonotrode of an ultrasonic stack. A first electric motor actuates movement of the height anvil to develop a compressive force for ultrasonic welding of the metal pieces. A second electric motor can position the width anvil before and during welding. A sensor, such as a load cell, measures the compressive force developed. The sensor directly can measure the load on the height anvil independent of the ultrasonic stack. A software algorithm can compensate for deflection of the load cell sensor and lost motion in the first electric motor actuating movement.

A method of adjusting a clamping of a semiconductor element against a support structure on a wire bonding machine is provided. The method includes: (a) detecting an indicia of floating of the semiconductor element with respect to the support structure at a plurality of locations of the semiconductor element; and (b) adjusting the clamping of the semiconductor element against the support structure based on the results of step (a).

An ultrasonic welding device includes a sonotrode, an anvil, a touching element, a lateral slide, a first stop element, a drive device, and a receiving chamber in which joining partners are to be received. The receiving chamber is defined on a first side by a surface of the sonotrode and on a second side opposing the first side by a surface of the anvil. The receiving chamber is further defined on a third side by a surface of the touching element and on a fourth side opposing the third side by a surface of the lateral slide. The first stop element is displaceable between a pulled-in position and a pulled-out position. The first stop element in the pulled-in position defines the receiving chamber on a fifth side extending transverse to the first to fourth sides and in the pulled-out position leaves the receiving chamber open on the fifth side.

A method of adjusting a clamping of a semiconductor element against a support structure on a wire bonding machine is provided. The method includes: (a) detecting an indicia of floating of the semiconductor element with respect to the support structure at a plurality of locations of the semiconductor element; and (b) adjusting the clamping of the semiconductor element against the support structure based on the results of step (a).

A wire bonding apparatus according to an embodiment bonds a wire to a bonding portion by generating an ultrasonic vibration in a state of pressing the wire onto the bonding portion. The wire bonding apparatus includes a bonding tool that causes the wire to contact the bonding portion and applies a load, an ultrasonic horn that generates the ultrasonic vibration, a load sensor that continuously detects the load applied from the bonding tool to the bonding portion, and a controller that controls the operation of the bonding tool and the ultrasonic horn. The controller analyzes data of the load output from the load sensor between when the wire contacts the bonding portion and when the ultrasonic vibration is generated, and controls the operation of the bonding tool and the ultrasonic horn based on an analysis result.

A wire bonding apparatus (100) includes a bonding stage (12), a bonding head (20), an XY driving mechanism (30), and a frame (50). The XY driving mechanism (30) includes: an X-direction guide (31) installed to the frame (50); an X-direction slider (32), supported by the X-direction guide (31) and moving in the X direction, an X-direction mover (41) being installed thereto; a Y-direction guide (33) installed to a lower side of the X-direction slider (32); and a Y-direction slider (34), supported by the Y-direction guide (33) and moving in the Y direction, the bonding head (20) being installed thereto. The XY driving mechanism (30) is installed to the frame (50), so that a portion of the Y-direction guide (33) is overlapped with a mounting surface (12a) of a bonding stage (12) above the mounting surface (12a) and behind the mounting stage (12) in the Y direction.