Wire bonding apparatus

A wire bonding apparatus for bonding an electrode of a semiconductor chip and an electrode of a substrate with a wire, the apparatus comprising:

• a bonding tool for bonding a wire to each electrode;
• a horizontal plate provided with a through hole allowing a tip of the bonding tool to be inserted and removed;
• a first antioxidant gas flow channel for allowing an antioxidant gas to be blown to a center of the through hole along an upper surface of the horizontal plate;
• and
• a second antioxidant gas flow channel for allowing an antioxidant gas to be blown to the center of the through hole along the upper surface of the horizontal plate in a direction substantially intersecting with a direction in which the first antioxidant gas flow channel extends,
• wherein the horizontal plate is configured such that the antioxidant gas on the upper surface of the horizontal plate is allowed to flow outside the horizontal plate from edges of the horizontal plate, the edges being provided with no antioxidant gas flow channel.