1. Product Overview
The KS ceramic ring air nozzle is a precision gas protection component specially engineered for Kulicke & Soffa wire bonders. It adopts annular multi-channel airflow structure, mainly delivering nitrogen flow to the ball bonding area during gold wire, copper wire and alloy wire bonding. The uniform nitrogen shroud isolates molten solder balls from oxygen, preventing oxidation, ball blackening and poor bonding strength.
This ceramic ring air nozzle is a critical consumable for semiconductor packaging. Its micron-level precision gas grooves ensure even, stable laminar airflow without turbulence. It matches KS Iconn, Connx and other mainstream wire bonder platforms, widely used in COB, LED, sensor and IC packaging processes.
2. Core Features & Advantages
- Annular Uniform Airflow Design Multiple precision gas distribution grooves form a full-circle nitrogen curtain. Stable laminar flow covers the free-air ball formation zone, avoids local oxygen intrusion, effectively reduces ball oxidation and dark ball defects.
- High-Purity Alumina Ceramic Body Made of 99.9% alumina ceramic, outstanding high-temperature resistance, low thermal expansion coefficient, good insulation and anti-spark performance. It will not deform or crack under repeated thermal cycling from electronic flame-off (EFO).
- Micron Precision Air Groove Machining CNC ultra-precision grinding for gas channels; consistent groove depth and width. Air output is balanced across the whole ring, no dead zone or strong local jet flow that disturbs wire loop.
- Low Particle & Cleanroom Compatible Dense sintered ceramic surface, smooth and non-shedding. It meets Class 100 cleanroom requirements, will not contaminate bonding pads, gold wires or chips.
- High Dimensional Consistency & Replaceable Tight tolerance on inner bore, outer diameter and mounting positioning. Direct drop-in replacement for original KS spare parts, no extra airflow tuning required after swap.
- Customizable Air Channel Layout Custom gas groove quantity, groove angle, inner/outer diameter and mounting interface according to wire bonder model, wire material and bonding speed.
3. Typical Applications
- Semiconductor packaging: Gold wire, copper wire, palladium alloy wire ball bonding
- Equipment compatibility: KS Iconn, Connx, Maxum series wire bonders
- Product types: LED chip, COB module, MEMS sensor, discrete diode, small IC packaging
- Process function: Nitrogen shielding for EFO free-air ball, prevent oxidation and ball variation
4. Technical Specification Table
表格
| Item | Technical Parameter |
|---|---|
| Product Name | KS Wire Bonder Ceramic Ring Air Nozzle / Nitrogen Shroud Ceramic Nozzle |
| Material | 99.9% High-Purity Alumina Ceramic |
| Air Channel Structure | Annular multi-groove laminar flow design |
| Main Compatible Models | KS Iconn, KS Connx, KS Maxum |
| Inner Diameter | Φ2.0 mm ~ Φ6.0 mm (customizable) |
| Outer Diameter | Φ6.0 mm ~ Φ12.0 mm (customizable) |
| Overall Height | 3.0 mm ~ 8.0 mm (customizable) |
| Dimensional Tolerance | ±0.01 mm |
| Air Groove Tolerance | ±0.005 mm |
| Operating Temperature | -20℃ ~ 800℃ |
| Recommended Gas | High-purity Nitrogen (N₂) |
| Working Gas Pressure | 0.02 ~ 0.08 MPa |
| Surface Finish | Polished, Ra ≤0.2 μm |
| Cleanroom Grade | Class 100 |
| Mounting Method | Press-fit / screw locking to bonder gas block |
| Wire Type Fit | Gold wire, copper wire, palladium alloy wire |
5. Operation & Maintenance Notes
- Keep nitrogen gas clean and dry; moisture or oil contamination will clog fine air grooves and cause uneven airflow.
- Handle carefully. Alumina ceramic is brittle; avoid impact, dropping and side force which may crack the air channels.
- Regularly inspect air grooves for dust, wire debris and metal spatter. Clean with ultrasonic cleaning fluid if blocked.
- Check for ceramic chipping, groove deformation after long running. Replace immediately if airflow pattern changes and bad ball rate rises.
- Adjust nitrogen pressure within the recommended range. Excessive pressure disturbs wire loop; insufficient pressure leads to poor anti-oxidation effect.
