Ultrasonic wire bonding is a common contacting method in microelectronics. Ultrasound is used to melt a wafer-thin aluminum or gold wire between the pins - i.e. the component's connecting feet - and the connecting surface of the substrate. The same method is used to electrically interconnect battery cells. The trend toward electromobility is now shifting the focus more and more to large-scale production of battery packs. However, a prerequisite for an automated production process of battery packs is the consistently high cleanliness of the bonding surfaces. For this reason, a supplier of fully automatic and manual wire bonders and bond testers and a developer and manufacturer of snow jet cleaning solutions have joined forces.
The snow jet cleaning system was successfully installed in the bonding machines. For this purpose, the nozzle was mounted on the bond head and integrated into the machine control system. Snow jet cleaning does not result in any mechanical changes to the bond surface, and particulate and chemical film contamination can now be completely removed. Climate-neutral carbon dioxide is used as the cleaning medium. It is passed through a two-substance ring nozzle and expands into fine snow particles as it emerges. Nothing now stands in the way of clean battery pack production.
Read the article in mo 11 2022 or online here!