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 height of a vertical wire interconnection bonded onto a substrate is measured by first capturing a top view of the vertical wire interconnection and identifying a position of a tip end of the vertical wire interconnection from the top view. A conductive probe is located over the tip end of the vertical wire interconnection, and is lowered towards the vertical wire interconnection until an electrical connection is made between the conductive probe and the tip end of the vertical wire interconnection. A contact height at which the electrical connection is made may thus be determined, wherein the contact height corresponds to the height of the vertical wire interconnection.

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.

A bonding apparatus is provided. This bonding apparatus uses images captured by an imaging apparatus and performs a packaging process for a semiconductor chip and additional processes other than the packaging process. The bonding apparatus is provided with: an aperture switching mechanism provided in an optical system of the imaging apparatus and capable of switching between a first aperture and a second aperture that has an aperture hole diameter greater than that of the first aperture; and a control unit which controls the aperture switching mechanism to switch to either the first aperture or the second aperture. The control unit performs the packaging process using an image captured by switching to the first aperture and performs the additional processes using an image captured by switching to the second aperture.

A method of detecting potential issues in connection with engagement between a wire bonding tool and an ultrasonic transducer of a wire bonding machine is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) providing electrical power to an ultrasonic transducer at each of a plurality of levels of electrical power; (b) detecting an electrical characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer at each of the plurality of levels of electrical power; and (c) determining if the electrical characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer at each of the plurality of levels of electrical power is acceptable.

Provided is a wire shape measurement device of a semiconductor device comprising a substrate, a semiconductor element, and a wire connecting an electrode of the semiconductor element to an electrode of the substrate. The wire shape measurement device comprises: cameras that capture two-dimensional images of the semiconductor device; and a control unit that examines the shape of the wire based on the two-dimensional images of the semiconductor device acquired by the cameras. The control unit performs pattern matching using information on the position at which the wire is connected to the substrate or the semiconductor element and thickness information of the wire, and by utilizing the pattern matching, the control unit: generates a three-dimensional image of the wire from the two-dimensional images of the semiconductor device acquired by the cameras; and performs shape measurement of the wire based on the generated three-dimensional image of the wire.

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.

A capillary guide device 40 includes: a guide body portion 41 capable of being in contact with a capillary 8 held in a hole 7h; and a drive portion 42 which arranges the guide body portion 41 at a position capable of being in contact with the capillary 8 by moving the guide body portion 41 along an X-axis direction. The drive portion 42 includes: a table 46 connected to the guide body portion 41; a drive shaft 47b extending in the X-axis direction and exhibiting a frictional resistance force with the table 46; and an ultrasonic element 47a fixed to an end of the drive shaft 47b and supplying an ultrasonic wave to the drive shaft 47b.

A capillary guide device (40) includes: a guide body portion (41) capable of being in contact with a capillary (8) held in a hole (7h); and a drive portion (42) which arranges the guide body portion (41) at a position capable of being in contact with the capillary (8) by moving the guide body portion (41) along an X-axis direction. The drive portion (42) includes: a table (46) connected to the guide body portion (41); a drive shaft (47b) extending in the X-axis direction and exhibiting a frictional resistance force with the table (46); and an ultrasonic element (47a) fixed to an end of the drive shaft (47b) and supplying an ultrasonic wave to the drive shaft (47b).