Patent ID: 7044356

Claim:
A method of fabricating a packaged semiconductor chip, comprising: bonding a wire on a chip contact pad of a semiconductor chip using a wire bonding machine; moving a bond head of the wire bonding machine relative to the chip contact pad, thereby pulling a first length of the wire out of the wire bonding machine, wherein part of the wire passes through a space between a first outer edge of a first bearing race and a second outer edge of a second bearing race during the pulling of the first length; bonding the wire on a lead using the wire bonding machine; energizing a first piezoelectric element in the bond head, thereby causing the first piezoelectric element to expand and press against the first bearing race; braking the first bearing race by the pressing of the first piezoelectric element against the first bearing race; braking the wire between the first and second races at least partially by the braking of the first bearing race; moving the bond head relative to the lead during the braking of the wire; severing the wire proximate to the lead.