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Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2009 53
SOMA’s focus on systems for fine
wire drawing, annealing, measuring,
and rewinding, is expanding to
copper bonding wire. Copper is
viewed as a viable replacement for
gold bonding wire.
Intense price pressure in ever-cheaper
consumer electronics has driven
solutions for copper bond wire in a
growing number of chip applications.
Copper bonding wire is forecast at
50% compound growth, replacing up
to US$1 billion of gold wire over the
next five years in the expanding
semiconductor market.
Bare copper bonding wire (of around
20μm diameter) requires a fully
annealed final condition, and has
stringent criteria for surface quality
and negligible oxidation.
SOMA has standard and customised
fine wire solutions for such copper
applications.
Machine design technology, software,
and set-up are all critical to the high
speed drawing of copper bonding
wire, using wet or dry capstan
designs depending on the diameter
range.
Process and production are moni-
tored on-line, and machine software
can be serviced remotely.
Copper bonding wire annealing and
spooling are particularly challeng-
ing for negligible oxidation, maxi-
mum softness, and surface quality
preservation.
High run speed is critical for the best
return on floor space and machine
investment in any fine wire process
step.
SOMA’s proven high speed PC
control systems and annealing oven
designs provide precise tension
control, lowest oxidation, and best
wind quality.
SOMA AG – Switzerland
Fax: +41 44 938 9838
Email:
Website:
Serving the
copper
bonding wire
market
❍ Ultra fine copper wire drawing operation