Wire bonder for semiconductor packaging · Ball or wedge, fine or heavy aluminium wire, ultrasonic frequency and power, bond force, heater temperature, travel, throughput
A wire bonder joins a semiconductor die's pads to its package or substrate with fine wire or ribbon, using ultrasonic energy, force and, in some processes, heat. Ask three things first: ball or wedge bonding and which wire or ribbon, the process window of ultrasonic power, force and temperature, and whether you need a bench-top manual or semi-automatic tool or an automatic production machine.
Wire and ribbon bonders for semiconductor and microelectronic packaging: fine-wire ball and wedge bonders and heavy aluminium wedge bonders. Die bonders, pull and shear testers, battery-pack cell wire bonding lines and bonding wire itself are outside this page.
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01
Kulicke & Soffa describes ball bonding as forming a microscopic ball at the tip of an ultra-fine gold or copper wire using heat, pressure and ultrasonic energy, bonding it to the die pad with a ceramic capillary, then looping the wire to the substrate or lead frame; it lists stacked dies, 3D ICs and system-in-package among the uses. [3] K&S also lists wire and ribbon wedge bonding for power semiconductors, automotive power modules and industrial power hybrids. [4]
TPT's bench-top HB16 thermosonic bonder handles wedge-wedge, ball-wedge, ribbon and bump bonding with one bond head, changing only the tool, for 17–75 µm (0.7–3 mil) gold or aluminium wire and ribbon up to 25 × 250 µm (1 × 10 mil). Its automatic desktop HB100 extends gold wire down to 12 µm (0.5 mil), with a 2-minute wire change and 1-minute bond method change. [1] [2]
For power devices, Jiangsu Himalaya lists its K580 coarse aluminium wire bonder for 5–20 mil (125–500 µm) wire with dual stations and dual bond heads, a 75 × 75 mm bond area, 40 mm Z travel, ±220° rotation and 45° or 60° feed angle options. [5]
Give the supplier the device and package drawings, pad size and pitch, wire or ribbon material and diameter, bonding method, loop profile, bonds per device, required throughput, substrate or lead frame handling, heater temperature limit, and pull or shear test criteria.
02
TPT's HB16 lists a 63.3 kHz transducer with PLL control at 0–10 W output, bond time 0–20,000 ms, bond force 5–150 cN (350 cN option), a 1.58 mm diameter × 19 mm bonding tool, motorised 17 mm Z and 10 mm Y travel in 1 µm steps, 165 mm throat depth, electronic ball size control and a temperature controller up to 250 °C ±1 °C; it runs on 100–240 V ±10% 50/60 Hz 10 A maximum, measures 680 × 640 × 490 mm and weighs 42 kg net. [1]
The HB100 lists 63.3 kHz (110 kHz option) at 0–10 W, bond time 0–5 s, bond force 10–200 cN, negative EFO with software-controlled ball size, linear-motor X-Y at 0.1 µm and lead-screw Z at 0.5 µm resolution over 100 mm, dual camera to 150× magnification, a 90 mm heater stage up to 200 °C ±1 °C, a speed of 1 wire in 3 s, 620 × 750 × 680 mm and 72 kg net. [2]
Himalaya's K580 lists bonding force 30–1,200 g, ultrasonic power 0–60 W at 60 kHz (±2 kHz), chip size 1.40–10.00 mm, chip thickness 60–420 µm, 0.5 µm positioning resolution, a minimum bond cycle of 100 ms per wire and up to 8,000 devices per hour on 15 mil (380 µm) wire, with actual UPH depending on wire diameter, bonds per device, handling and inspection. [5]
Editorial calculation: 1 cN ≈ 1.02 gf, so 5–150 cN ≈ 5–153 gf and 10–200 cN ≈ 10–204 gf; 0–10 W = 0–10,000 mW; 1 wire in 3 s ≈ 1,200 wires per hour; the HB16 and HB100 footprints are about 0.44 m² and 0.47 m². [1] [2]
03
Jiangsu Himalaya Semiconductor Co., Ltd. lists the K580 coarse aluminium wire bonder with high-speed automatic and LED wire bonders; Wuxi Autowell Technology Co., Ltd. lists B301-series aluminium wire bonders for 4–20 mil wire and hybrid aluminium wedge bonders.
Ask any supplier for the datasheet with wire and ribbon range, ultrasonic frequency and power, bond force range, heater stage temperature and size, motion travel and resolution, cycle time and UPH on your device, pattern recognition, wire termination, utilities, footprint and weight, plus a sample bonding and pull-test report.
04
| Part | Role | Fix in the order |
|---|---|---|
| Bond head and transducer | Applies force and ultrasonic energy. [1] [5] | Frequency; power; force. |
| Capillary or wedge tool | Forms the ball or wedge bond. [3] [1] | Tool type; size. |
| EFO / ball size control | Melts the wire tip into a ball. [2] [3] | Control method. |
| Heater stage | Heats the work during bonding. [1] [2] | Size; maximum temperature. |
| Wire spool and clamp | Feeds and terminates wire. [1] [2] | Spool size; feed angle; termination. |
| Motion and vision | Places bonds on pads. [2] [5] | Travel; resolution; cameras. |
05
Force, ultrasonic and heater limits below come from the TPT HB16 and HB100 data sheets and the Himalaya K580 page; neither maker published room temperature or humidity limits.
| Field | What it means and published values | Ask the supplier for |
|---|---|---|
| Bonding Force (gf) | e.g. 5–150 cN ≈ 5–153 gf (HB16); 30–1,200 g (K580). [1] [5] | Range; resolution. |
| Ultrasonic Power (W) | e.g. 0–10 W (TPT); 0–60 W (K580). [1] [5] | Power; frequency. |
| Bonding Temperature (°C) | e.g. heater to 250 °C (HB16), 200 °C (HB100). [1] [2] | Stage limit; accuracy. |
| Throughput (UPH) | e.g. up to 8,000 on 15 mil wire (K580). [5] | UPH on your device. |
| Positioning resolution (µm) | e.g. 0.1 µm X-Y resolution (HB100); 0.5 µm (K580). [2] [5] | Placement accuracy. |
| Wire Diameter Range (mm) | e.g. 0.012–0.075 mm fine; 0.125–0.500 mm heavy Al. [2] [5] | Range by material. |
| Bonding Speed (ms/bond) | e.g. 100 ms per wire minimum (K580); 1 wire in 3 s (HB100). [5] [2] | Cycle time. |
| Power Supply (V AC) | e.g. 100–240 V ±10%, 50/60 Hz, 10 A max. [1] [2] | Supply; air; vacuum. |
| Operating Temperature (°C) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Room conditions. |
| Humidity Range (% RH) | Not stated in the reviewed sources. | Range. |
| Machine Weight (kg) | e.g. 42 kg (HB16); 72 kg (HB100). [1] [2] | Weight. |
| Footprint (mm) | e.g. 680 × 640 mm (HB16); 620 × 750 mm (HB100). [1] [2] | Dimensions. |
06
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Device: [package drawing; pad size and pitch] Method: [ball; wedge; ribbon] Wire: [material; diameter] Process: [force; ultrasonic power; temperature] Output: [bonds per device; UPH target] Acceptance: [pull/shear criteria; sample bonding]
Jiangsu Himalaya Semiconductor Co., Ltd. and Wuxi Autowell Technology Co., Ltd. list aluminium wire bonders; Himalaya also lists high-speed automatic and LED bonders.
Lists the K580 coarse aluminium wire bonder, high-speed automatic and LED wire bonders.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Lists B301-series aluminium wire bonders (4–20 mil Al wire) and hybrid aluminium wedge bonders.
Product scope checked 2026-10-11
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
K&S describes ball bonding as forming a ball on gold or copper wire and bonding it with a capillary; TPT's HB16 does wedge-wedge and ball-wedge with one head by changing the tool. [3] [1]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. TPT Wire Bonder, Kulicke & Soffa and Jiangsu Himalaya Semiconductor build wire bonders and publish their specifications.
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