US3838240A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bonding tool and method of bonding therewith
Assignee: RCA Corp
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Filing: 1973-04-04
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Granted: 1974-09-24
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Expires: 1993-04-04
Abstract
Abstract A thermocompression bonding tool is heated by a combination of conductive and resistive heating means. Firstly, a bonding tip of the tool is heated by conduction with heat provided by a heating coil disposed around electrodes that are adapted to conduct electric current to the bonding tip. Secondly, the bonding tip is heated resistively by current supplied to it through the electrodes. A non-oxidizing inert gas is heated by being passed over the heating coil and is directed onto the bonding tip to prevent oxidation of the bonding tip. The heated gas is also directed onto any workpiece brought adjacent to the bonding tip for bonding thereby, whereby to heat the bonding site so that a cold workpiece need not be preheated before being thermocompression bonded.
Inventors
- 👤 R Schelhorn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 19:02
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K20/00; B23K20/002; B23K20/004; B23K20/005; H; H01; H01R; H01R43/00; H01R43/02; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/071; H10W72/0711; H10W72/07141; H10W72/075; H10W72/07531; H10W72/07532; H10W72/07541; H10W72/50; H10W72/531; H10W72/533; H10W72/534; H10W72/551; H10W72/552
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A bonding tool comprising: an electrically conductive bonding tip, a pair of electrodes, connecting means electrically and mechanically connecting said bonding tip to said electrodes so that said tip is heated by current flow therethrough when said electrodes are connected to a source of voltage, an electric heating coil disposed around, and electrically insulated from, said electrodes for heating said electrodes and said tip when said coil is energized, means connected to said coil to energize it, a shield, means disposing said shield about, and spaced from, said coil, means communicating with the space between said shield and said heating coil to introduce a gas to flow into said space to be heated by said coil, and said shield having a gas outlet oriented to direct heated gas over said tip so as to heat any workpiece brought adjacent to said tip for bonding thereby.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A bonding tool comprising: an electrically conductive bonding tip, a pair of electrodes, connecting means electrically and mechanically connecting said bonding tip to said electrodes so that said tip is heated by current flow therethrough when said electrodes are connected to a source of voltage, an electric heating coil disposed around, and electrically insulated from, said electrodes for heating said electrodes and said tip when said coil is energized, means connected to said coil to energize it, a shield, means disposing said shield about, and spaced from, said coil, means communicating with the space between said shield and said heating coil to introduce a gas to flow into said space to be heated by said coil, and said shield having a gas outlet oriented to direct heated gas over said tip so as to heat any workpiece brought adjacent to said tip for bonding thereby.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1 wherein: said bonding tip is substantially conical in shape and has an axial through opening of circular cross-section for receiving bonding wire of circular cross-section therethrough, and said gas is a non-oxidizing gas to prevent oxidation of said tip.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1 wherein: said bonding tip is substantially conical in shape and has an axial through opening of rectangular cross-section for receiving bonding ribbon of rectangular cross-section therethrough, and said gas is forming gas to prevent oxidation of said tip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
75 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1 wherein: said electrodes are elongated members, parallel to each other, and electrically insulated from each other, said connecting means comprise two wires, each having one end fixed adjacent to one end of each of said elongated members, respectively, and an opposite end fixed to said tip, and the other ends of each of said elongated members comprise means for attachment of said tool to a bonding machine.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1 wherein: said heating coil is wound around a form that is electrically insulated from said electrodes, and said shield surrounds substantially all of said coil.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
71 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1 wherein: said shield is substantially cylindrical in shape, said means disposing said shield about, and spaced from, said coil comprises insulating anchoring means to fix and to electrically insulate one end of said shield, remote from said tip to said electrodes, and the other end of said shield is formed with said gas outlet to direct said gas over, and past, said tip.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A bonding tool as described in claim 1, wherein: said means communicating with the space between said shield and said heating coil comprises a tube fixed to said shield, adjacent an end of said shield remote from said tip, and communicating through said shield with space adjacent an end of said coil remote from said tip.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
154 words
A method of thermocompression bonding one metal member, supplied adjacent the bonding tip of a bonding tool, to a bonding site of a second metal member, said method comprising the steps of: applying a bonding force on said tool, toward said bonding site, to press said one metal member into engagement with the second metal member at said bonding site, supplying heat to a portion of said bonding tool to heat said bonding tip by conduction from said position, sending an electric current through said bonding tip to heat it resistively after said bonding site is heated by the conductively heated tip, flowing a gas over sAid heated portion of said bonding tool to heat said gas, and directing said heated gas to said bonding site to further heat said bonding site when said bonding tool and said one metal member are brought adjacent said bonding site for bonding said one metal member thereto.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
154 words
A method of thermocompression bonding one metal member, supplied adjacent the bonding tip of a bonding tool, to a bonding site of a second metal member, said method comprising the steps of: applying a bonding force on said tool, toward said bonding site, to press said one metal member into engagement with the second metal member at said bonding site, supplying heat to a portion of said bonding tool to heat said bonding tip by conduction from said position, sending an electric current through said bonding tip to heat it resistively after said bonding site is heated by the conductively heated tip, flowing a gas over sAid heated portion of said bonding tool to heat said gas, and directing said heated gas to said bonding site to further heat said bonding site when said bonding tool and said one metal member are brought adjacent said bonding site for bonding said one metal member thereto.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method of thermocompression bonding as described in claim 8, wherein: said one metal member comprises a wire or ribbon fed through an opening in said bonding tip, and said bonding site of said second metal member comprises a portion of an electrical circuit on a substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
79 words
A method of thermocompression bonding as described in claim 8, wherein: the step of supplying heat to a portion of said bonding tool comprises providing heat conducting means between a heating coil and said bonding tip and supplying an electric current to said heating coil, and the step of directing said heated gas to said bonding site comprises providing a confined path for said gas to flow over said heating coil and directing said path over said bonding tip.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
72 words
A method of thermocompression bonding as described in claim 8 wherein: the step of directing said heated gas to said bonding site comprises providing a cylindrical shield over, and spaced from, said heated portion of said bonding tool, and introducing a flow of a non-oxidizing gas into the space between said shield and said heated portion of said bonding tool, whereby said non-oxidizing gas is heated and flows over said bonding tip.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-09-23 | 1978-03-25 | 1978-09-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-09-23 | 1982-03-25 | 1982-09-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-09-23 | 1986-03-25 | 1986-09-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |