If you have bare die and need them wire bonded to a substrate or package, the two useful questions are what to send and what comes back. This is the checklist version. Send these five things and a wire bonding service can quote and build without a week of back-and-forth; here is what lands back on your bench when it is done.
What to send
1. The die
Bare die, on wafer, in tray or waffle pack, or as singulated parts — with the bond pad metallurgy and the die backside metallization. Gold wire on aluminum pads is the standard metallurgy; telling us the pad and backside metal up front is what lets the bond recipe be developed against your die rather than a generic coupon.
2. The substrate or package
Whatever the die bonds to — a ceramic or organic substrate, a leadframe, a package, or a board — with its finish and pad layout. If we are also attaching the die, say so; die attach and wire bond run under one roof here, so the attach is developed to suit the bond that follows it.
3. A bond diagram
The bond diagram — a drawing or netlist that says which pad connects to which finger — is the one input that most often holds up a quote. It defines the loops, the wire count, and the pad-to-post geometry. If you do not have one yet, we can work from a pad layout and a netlist to build it.
4. The wire spec
Gold or aluminum, and a diameter — we stock fine wire from 15 µm to 50 µm, with ribbon on request. If you are not sure, current per connection and pad size point at the diameter; we bond gold and aluminum wire only, not copper, and can advise on the choice. The gold-versus-aluminum decision is laid out in thermosonic wire bonding.
5. The quality target
A commercial pull-and-shear sample plan and a MIL-STD-883 screen are different amounts of work, and saying which you need up front is cheaper than discovering it later. Quantity too — prototype and low-volume are welcome, and there is no minimum.
What comes back
- The bonded parts — your die wire bonded to the substrate or package, with loop profiles controlled to the diagram.
- An inspection record — automated optical inspection and metrology confirming the bonds against the criteria, so the parts arrive with evidence, not just a shipment note.
- Pull-test data, if requested — destructive wire pull to MIL-STD-883 Method 2011 and ball or wedge shear, reported as a multiple of the Method 2011 minimum for the wire size, with non-destructive pull to Method 2023 where every wire is screened. What that test proves, and what it misses, is in what Method 2011 actually verifies.
The record is the point. A bonded part with no data behind it is a part you have to re-qualify; a bonded part with an inspection record and pull data to a named method is a part you can build on.
How the work runs
Bonding is done on US soil, in Halethorpe, Maryland, at prototype and low volume, with die attach, wire bond and inspection under one roof so the bond recipe is developed against the real die, pad metallization and substrate. Because assembly and inspection sit together, an iteration is days rather than a freight cycle — which is the difference that matters most when the design is still moving.
More on wire types, diameter, loop control and testing on our wire bonding services page.
Answered.
What do I need to send for a wire bonding service?
Five things: the bare die with its bond pad and backside metallization; the substrate or package with its finish and pad layout; a bond diagram saying which pad connects to which finger; the wire spec (gold or aluminum, and a diameter from 15 µm to 50 µm); and the quality target and quantity. Sending all five lets a bonder quote and build without a week of back-and-forth.
What is a bond diagram?
A drawing or netlist that specifies which die pad connects to which package finger or substrate pad. It defines the loops, the wire count and the pad-to-post geometry, and it is the input that most often holds up a quote. If you do not have one, a service can build it from a pad layout and a netlist.
What comes back from a wire bonding service?
The bonded parts with loop profiles controlled to the diagram; an inspection record from automated optical inspection and metrology confirming the bonds against the criteria; and, if requested, pull-test data — destructive wire pull to MIL-STD-883 Method 2011 and shear, reported as a multiple of the Method 2011 minimum. The record is what lets you build on the parts without re-qualifying them.
Do you do prototype and low-volume wire bonding?
Yes. Prototype and low-volume work is most of what we do, with no minimum quantity, on US soil in Halethorpe, Maryland. Die attach, wire bond and inspection run under one roof, so an iteration is days rather than a freight cycle — which matters most while the design is still moving.
What wire do you bond, and how is quality verified?
Gold and aluminum wire only — not copper — with fine wire from 15 µm to 50 µm and ribbon on request. Quality is verified by destructive pull to MIL-STD-883 Method 2011 and by ball or wedge shear, reported as a multiple of the Method 2011 minimum, with non-destructive pull to Method 2023 where a programme screens every wire.