Wire clamping device and wire clamping method

A wire clamping device for clamping bonding wire during wire bonding of electronic components, said wire clamping device comprising:

• a fixed arm with a flat end, wherein said flat end of said fixed arm is a clamping surface;
• a bendable movable arm with a flat end, wherein said flat end of said movable arm is a further clamping surface, the movable arm positionable prior to wire bonding so that
• a) the flat end of said fixed arm faces the flat end of said movable arm,
• b) a suitable gap is created so at least one of said fixed arm and said bendable movable arm is not in contact with said bonding wire,
• said moveable arm functioning as a plate spring and bendable so that said end of said movable arm approaches said end of said fixed arm and the clamping surfaces of said fixed arm and said movable arm are parallel and sufficiently close to each other when said movable arm is bent to clamp wire therebetween during wire bonding;
• and
• a piezoelectric element that is attached to said movable arm which bends said movable arm by mechanical deformation of said piezoelectric element in order to clamp wire between said end of said movable arm and said end of said fixed arm,
• wherein the flat end of the movable arm is an initial state is inclined with respect to the flat end of the fixed arm at angles of .rho..sub.1 -.rho..sub.2 indicated by the following equation, ##EQU4## where Young's modulus is denoted as E, a geometrical moment of interia of the movable as Iz.sub.1, a geometrical moment of interia of the fixed arm as Iz.sub.2, a bending moment generated by a force applied by the piezoelectric element of the movable arm as M.sub.1, a bending moment generated by a force applied by the piezoelectric element of the fixed arm, a distance from a point of support of the movable arm to a point where the wire is clamped as l.sub.0, and a distance from a point of support of the movable arm to a point which receives a bending force of the piezoelectric element l.sub.1.