TPT HB16 Wire bonder 2020-10-09

Location: Characterization Lab, ECERF W1-040

Primary Trainer: Gustavo de Oliveira Secondary Trainer: Scott Munro

780.619.1463 587.879.1517
[email protected] [email protected]

OVERVIEW
The TPT HB16 Wire bonder is a manual/semi automatic ultrasonic wire bonder with motorized Z- and
Y-axes, as well as precise manual control of sample positioning in the XY plane, used to create electrical
interconnects between dies and packages/printed circuit boards (PCBs). With electronic control of all
bonding variables (sample temperature, ultrasound power, force, and time), this tool is able to
perform ball-wedge bonding, wedge-wedge bonding, and ball-bumping. It also allows for both manual
and automatic control of the bonding loop.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
It is common to have samples heated to temperatures higher than 60 °C. Be careful when touching
either sample or sample holder.

A high-voltage discharge is used to form the ball for ball bonding. Users with abnormal heart conditions
or with pacemakers should avoid operating the tool. Also, keep flammables away from the tool.

Avoid directly looking at the laser pointer (class 2, 1mW @ 635 nm) output, as it can cause eye
damage.

Make sure that the chair is properly set for you to avoid ergonomic injuries.

Before bringing any new materials into the nanoFAB for processing, it is necessary to fill out a New

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Material Import Request on LMACS.

PROCESS COMPONENTS AND FEATURES

The tool includes:
● Leica 6:1 zoom stereo-microscope with 20× eyepieces
● Adjustable area illuminators
● Camera and screen for image recording (contact trainer to obtain files)
● Heated sample holder with both mechanical and vacuum holding options.
● 6.5” TFT touch screen for program and parameter control
● Ball bonding capillaries and wedge bonding tips are available (user must specify which will be
used when booking the tool).
● 33 µm Al and 25 µm Au wires are available (user must specify which will be used when booking
the tool)

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
SYSTEM OVERVIEW

1. In the main screen, the following parameters can be edited by double-tapping the respective
number:
a. US​: Ultrasound power for each bond step
b. Time(ms)​: Time that ultrasound is on for
c. Force(mN)​: Force to be applied at the tip
d. Heater​: Temperature of the sample holder, in
°C
e. Looph​: Height of the tip after first bond, in µm
f. YWay​: Distance to be moved in the Y-direction
after first bond, in µm

2. Still in the main screen:

a. Height setup​: Starts sample height
measurement for precise bonding
b. Test USG​: Temporarily turns ultrasound on
c. Bond 1​ and ​Bond 2​: Select which bond to make
d. Program​: Name the current program
e. Ballbond​/​Wedgebond​/​Ball-bump​: Select bonding modes
f. Full Automatic​/​Semi Automatic​/​Manual​/​Step​: Select operation mode
g. Clamp C/O​: Controls clamp state. Automatically closes after approximately 3 minutes
h. Advan. Settings​: Change to Advanced Settings screen.

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 3. In the Advanced Settings screen:
a. Setup​: Adjust wire tear and ball forming
parameters (options depend on bonding
mode). Consult trainer for more information.
b. Loop Param​: Control up to 10 steps for shaping
the wire loop during bonding. Consult trainer
for more information.
c. Misc​: Control several tool parameters, including
motor speed and light intensity.

4. The puck is used for moving the sample in the X- and

Y-direction, as well as for:
1. Bond​: Perform bond and height setup.
2. Up​: Retract wire from tip.
3. Down​: Feed wire to tip.
4. Reset​: Cancel last command and prepare for the first bond.

TOOL START UP AND SAMPLE PREPARATION

1. Login to tool ​TPT HB16 Wire bonder​ on LMACS.

2. Load your sample to the sample holder:

a. If the sample is small enough, use the clamps to hold it in
place. Make sure to adjust the fixed clamp to the
appropriate position.
b. If the sample is too large to be held by the clamps, use
the hex keys to remove the clamps out and connect the
vacuum line for holding the sample in place.
N.B. The sample must be properly fixed to the sample holder,
otherwise it may move and hinder bonding.
N.B. It is recommended to have a test sample next to yours to
test parameters without damaging your sample.

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 3. [Optional] If using the camera, turn on the power bar on the left and the screen:
a. To turn the screen on, flip the switch at the bottom-right corner and wait about 10 s.
b. Next, press the power button at the back of the screen on the right-hand side.

4. Turn the tool on by flipping the switch at the back on the left-hand side. Wait for the
initialization to complete.
N.B. Make sure that the sample is not under the bonding head before turning the tool on:
this may cause damage to both tool and sample.

5. Choose the desired program and/or edit one:

a. Double-tap the ​Prog number to choose
another program.
b. Double-tap the parameters to edit them. The
Heater​ is turned off by setting it to zero.
N.B. Any changes to a program are
automatically saved.
N.B. Do NOT change programs 1 to 3: these are
standard references.

6. Tap ​Height Setup to move the bonding head to the

highest position.

7. Carefully move the sample holder under the bonding head, making sure that it does not hit the
tip of the capillary/wedge bonding tip.
N.B. If necessary, release the thumb screw and rotate the holder base to adjust its height. For
safety, leave at least 5 mm of clearance between the highest point on the holder and the
bonding tip.

8. Moving the puck, roughly align the tip to the position of the first bond (typically a pad on the
die), and press the ​Bond (green) button on the puck. The tool will slowly lower the tip until it
touches the sample, saving this height for the first bond.

9. Repeat step 8 while aligning the tip to the position of the second bond (typically a pad on the
PCB). The tool will slowly lower the tip until it touches the sample, saving this height for the
second bond.

10. If working with the wedge tip, skip this step. Otherwise, press the ​Bond (green) button on the
puck once more. The tool will engage the EFO and slowly lower the tip until they touch each
other. It will then save this height for the ball-forming process.

TIP: ​If moving to a test sample is necessary, perform ​Height Setup on that sample while using a
different program. Then switch between programs as you move from one sample to the other. This will
save the time required for Height Setup in each sample.

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BONDING – FULL AUTOMATIC

N.B. This operation mode is suitable only for samples on which bonding pads on both die and PCB
perfectly align in the Y-direction. If adjustment of the second bond position is necessary choose
either ​Semi Automatic​ or ​Manual​ mode.

1. Coarsely align the bonding tip to the position of the

first bond (typically a pad on the die).

2. Press and hold the ​Bond (green) button on the puck.

The tip will be lowered to search height.
N.B. If necessary to abort the procedure at this point,
while still holding the ​Bond button, hold the ​Reset
(red) button on the puck. Then, while holding the
Reset button, release the ​Bond button and then
release the ​Reset​ button.

3. While holding the ​Bond (green) button, adjust the position of the sample to finely position the
tip over the bonding pad.

4. Release the ​Bond​ (green) button to perform both the first and the second bond.
N.B.​ All loop steps set in ​Advan. Settings​/​Loop param​ will be followed automatically.

5. The tool will move back to the position of the first bond. Manually move to the position of the
next first bond and repeat steps 1–4.
N.B.​ If ball-bonding, the ball will be automatically formed after every second bond.

BONDING – SEMI AUTOMATIC

1. Coarsely align the bonding tip to the position of the first

bond (typically a pad on the die).

2. Press and hold the ​Bond (green) button on the puck. The
tip will be lowered to search height.
N.B. If necessary to abort the procedure at this point,
while still holding the ​Bond button, hold the ​Reset (red)
button on the puck. Then, while holding the ​Reset
button, release the ​Bond button and then release the
Reset​ button.

3. While holding the ​Bond (green) button, adjust the position of the sample to finely position the
tip over the bonding pad.

4. Release the ​Bond​ (green) button to perform the first bond.

N.B.​ All loop steps set in ​Advan. Settings/​ ​Loop param​ will be followed automatically.

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 5. The tool will have moved back to the position of the
second bond. If your pads do not align perfectly in the
Y-direction, coarsely adjust the position of the second
bond now.
N.B. ​If the first bond failed, it is possible to press the
Reset​ button now and cancel the whole process.

6. Press and hold the ​Bond​ (green) button. The tip will be lowered to search height.
N.B. If necessary to abort the procedure at this point, while still holding the ​Bond button,
hold the ​Reset (red) button on the puck. Then, while holding the ​Reset button, release the
Bond​ button and then release the ​Reset​ button.

7. Release the ​Bond​ (green) button to perform the second bond.

8. The tool will move back to the position of the first bond. Manually move to the position of the
next first bond and repeat steps 1–7.
N.B.​ If ball-bonding, the ball will be automatically formed after every second bond.

BONDING – MANUAL

1. Coarsely align the bonding tip to the position of the

first bond (typically a pad on the die).

2. Carefully depress the handle until the tip is close

enough to the pad surface for fine positioning.

3. While holding the handle at this height, adjust the

position of the sample to finely position the tip over
the bonding pad.

4. Fully depress the handle to complete the first bond.

N.B.​ The system will limit the force to the value set in the bond parameters.

5. Slowly release the handle, controlling the height of the tip. This will determine the loop height.

6. Manually move to the position of the second bond and repeat steps 1–4. The wire will be
automatically cut when the handle is released.
N.B. Loop shape can be manually controlled in this mode as well, although it will require a
high level of dexterity.

7. After the second bond is done, manually move to the position of the next first bond and repeat
steps 1–6.
N.B.​ If ball-bonding, the ball will be automatically formed after every second bond.

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ENDING THE SESSION

1. Carefully remove the sample holder from under the bonding head and take your sample out.
CAUTION!​ Sample and sample holder may be hot! There is a risk of serious burns.
N.B. Wait for your sample to cool down before storing it: it may be hot enough to melt some
plastics.

2. If using the test PCB, take it from the sample holder and wait for it to cool down before storing
it back in the metal case.

3. Turn off the tool by flipping the switch at the back on the left hand side.

4. If using the camera, turn the screen off by flipping the switch on the bottom right corner and
turn the camera power bar off.
N.B.​ If images were taken, please contact the tool trainer for accessing them.

5. Store tweezers with protected tips and hex keys back in the metal case.

6. Clean the table and stage from any wire leftovers.

7. Logout of the tool on LMACS.

TROUBLESHOOTING
Laser pointer alignment
If using the laser pointer as a guide, use the following steps to align it to either the first or second bond
position:
1. Complete a bond loop without moving the sample after the second bond. Use ​Full automatic
mode for better results.
2. The head should move back to the first bond position. Align the laser to this position or tap
YWay​ once to move to the second bond position and align the pointer to this one instead.
N.B. If die and PCB have different heights, it is impossible to have the laser pointer aligned to
both at the same time.

Thread wire
It is not uncommon for the wire to escape the wedge tip. Follow these steps in case this happens:
1. Carefully remove the sample from under the tip.
2. Make sure the system shows ​Ready in the messages line. If not, press the ​Reset button on the
puck.
3. Tap ​Clamp C​ to open the clamp. The border will turn red and the text changes to ​Clamp O​.
4. Carefully move the clamp to the side and tap ​Clamp O to close it. The wire should be free to
move at this point.
5. If necessary, carefully push the wire from the top of the bonding head.
N.B.​ ​DO NOT​ try to pull it from the bottom to avoid damaging the tip with the tweezers.

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 6. Once you have enough wire at the bottom to safely pull with the tweezers,
use both tweezers to cut the wire such that you have a straight and clean
end.
7. Thread the straight end through the bonding tip. Note that the aperture is
about 2 µm above the very tip and the wire must follow a 45° angle path from
back to front.

Please contact the tool trainer for more information or assistance.

Ball not forming or inconsistent

If the ball is not being formed properly, select program #2 and test bonding a few
times on the test PCB. If the ball forms normally compare the
following parameters in both this program and yours (both
parameters are in ​Advan. Settings​/​Setup​):
1. Up CO
2. EFO Power
N.B. Both parameters can be modified for controlling
the ball size. Use the values in program #2 as a
reference and slowly modify them to obtain the
desired size. Start by changing ​UP CO​ first.

If you still cannot get consistent ball forming after this, please
contact the tool trainer.

Wire not bonding

Typically, inconsistent bonding is a result of bad bonding parameters (US power, Time, Force, or
Heater). Try going back to one of the standard recipes and test on the test PCB. If this works it means
that you need to optimize the parameters on your program.

If the standard recipes do not work on the test PCB, please contact the tool trainer for assistance.

Other issues
If you encounter an unexpected error or require assistance please contact the primary or secondary
trainer listed above. Should they not be available, please contact any staff member for assistance.

APPROVAL
Qualified Trainer: Gustavo de Oliveira
Fabrication Group Manager: Aaron Hryciw

Version history

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Gustavo de Oliveira, 2020-10-09 (TPT HB16 Wire bonder SOP.gdoc, *.pdf)

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