# US 12,113,043 B2 · Methods of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,043 B2 - Document ID: US12113043B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/987,708 - Filed: 2022-11-15 - Published: 2023-05-18 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-16 - Assignees: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. - Applicants: Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. - Inventors: Jon W. Brunner; Wei Qin; Aashish Shah; Hui Xu; Jeong Ho Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113043B2 ## CPC - B23K 20/10: making use of vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic welding - H10W 72/075: {of bond wires} - H10W 72/50: Bond wires - B23K 2101/40: Semiconductor devices - H10W 72/07113: {Means for calibration} - H10W 72/07141: {Means for applying energy, e.g. ovens or lasers} - H10W 72/07183: {Means for monitoring} - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system is provided. The method includes the steps of: (a) determining a reference ultrasonic characteristic for formation of a wire bond; (b) determining a reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic that results in a non-stick wire bond condition; (c) determining a calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic, on a wire bonding system to be calibrated, that results in a non-stick wire bond condition; and (d) determining a calibration factor for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a reference ultrasonic characteristic for formation of a wire bond; (b) determining a reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic that results in a non-stick wire bond condition_by incrementally adjusting an applied ultrasonic characteristic in wire bonding operations until the non-stick wire bond condition results, wherein the non-stick wire bond condition occurs when a predetermined percentage of wire bonds tested at the applied ultrasonic characteristic do not stick to their respective bonding location; (c) determining a calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic, on a wire bonding system to be calibrated, that results in a non-stick wire bond condition; and (d) determining a calibration factor for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using application specific materials. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the application specific materials include at least one of a wire, a wire bonding tool, and a workpiece. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using an application specific wire bonding program. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using application specific wire bonding parameters. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the reference ultrasonic characteristic is an electrical current value configured to be applied to an ultrasonic transducer on a wire bonding system to form the wire bond. ### Claim 7 A method of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a reference ultrasonic characteristic for formation of a wire bond; (b) determining a reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic that results in a non-stick wire bond condition; (c) determining a calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic, on a wire bonding system to be calibrated, that results in a non-stick wire bond condition by incrementally adjusting an applied ultrasonic characteristic in wire bonding operations until the non-stick wire bond condition results, wherein the non-stick wire bond condition occurs with respect to step (c) when a predetermined percentage of wire bonds tested at the applied ultrasonic characteristic do not stick to their respective bonding location; and (d) determining a calibration factor for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) includes determining a difference between the reference non-stick ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration non-stick ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of (e) determining an ultrasonic characteristic setpoint for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the calibration factor, the ultrasonic characteristic setpoint being an actual ultrasonic characteristic to be applied on the wire bonding system. ### Claim 10 A method of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a reference ultrasonic characteristic for formation of a wire bond; (b) determining a reference unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic that results in an unacceptable wire bond condition by incrementally adjusting an applied ultrasonic characteristic in wire bonding operations until the unacceptable wire bond condition results, wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition occurs with respect to step (b) when a predetermined percentage of wire bonds tested at the applied ultrasonic characteristic are unacceptable according to predetermined criteria; (c) determining a calibration unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic, on a wire bonding system to be calibrated, that results in an unacceptable wire bond condition; and (d) determining a calibration factor for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the reference unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using application specific materials. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the application specific materials include at least one of a wire type, a wire bonding tool type, and a workpiece. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using an application specific wire bonding program. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein step (a) includes determining the reference ultrasonic characteristic on a reference wire bonding system using application specific wire bonding parameters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the reference ultrasonic characteristic is an electrical current value configured to be applied to an ultrasonic transducer on a wire bonding system to form the wire bond. ### Claim 16 A method of calibrating an ultrasonic characteristic on a wire bonding system, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining a reference ultrasonic characteristic for formation of a wire bond; (b) determining a reference unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic that results in an unacceptable wire bond condition; (c) determining a calibration unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic, on a wire bonding system to be calibrated, that results in an unacceptable wire bond condition by incrementally reducing an applied ultrasonic characteristic in wire bonding operations until the unacceptable wire bond condition results, wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition occurs with respect to step (c) when a predetermined percentage of wire bonds tested at the applied ultrasonic characteristic are unacceptable according to predetermined criteria; and (d) determining a calibration factor for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the reference unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein step (d) includes determining a difference between the reference unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic and the calibration unacceptable ultrasonic characteristic. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition is a non-stick wire bond condition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition is a low shear strength wire bond condition. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition is a low pull strength wire bond condition. ### Claim 21 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the unacceptable wire bond condition is an unacceptable level of wire bond deformation. ### Claim 22 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising a step of (e) determining an ultrasonic characteristic setpoint for the wire bonding system to be calibrated using the calibration factor, the ultrasonic characteristic setpoint being an actual ultrasonic characteristic to be applied on the wire bonding system.