Plasma treatment prior to wire bonding efficiently removes organic contaminants and thin oxide layers under high throughput conditions, quickly, efficiently and reproducibly, greatly enhancing yield and reducing bond failures.
In many electronics application areas there is a stringent requirement for ultra-clean bond pads prior to wire bonding. This is especially true in e.g. semiconductor and space satellite instrumentation fabrication. Wire bond pad contamination results in poor bond pull strength and also bond strength uniformity. Plasma cleaning may be applied as an in-line solution e.g. prior to encapsulation, or as a batch processing step with bespoke frame loading arrangements.
Plasma Treatment for Wire Bonding
- Plasma Cleaning of PCB’s prior to bonding
- Plasma Activation of printed circuit boards prior to potting & encapsulation
- Etching & desmearing of epoxy, flex-rigid and teflon printed circuit boards
- De-oxidation of gold contacts
Lead Frame Loading
Standard and custom lead frame loading arrangements are also available in all plasma cleaning system models.
Case Study - Reliable Wire Bonding Treatment - Solid State Supplies
Reliable Wire Bonding Treatment
The Solid State Supplies design and manufacturing facility in Weymouth offers an end-to-end solution for optoelectronic and display assemblies. The team uses a Henniker Plasma HPT-300 microprocessor-controlled benchtop plasma treatment system. Plasma cleaning is regarded as something of an industry standard for wire bonding, and the HPT-300 was chosen for its reliability and ability to clean a wide range of materials including polymers, metals, glass and ceramics. Wire bond failure rates have been extremely low while the Henniker Plasma cleaner has been in operation at Solid State. See the Plasma Cleaner in action here!
