Patent ID: 8313015

Claim:
A wire bonding machine comprising: a bonding tool; an electrode for forming a free air ball on an end of a wire extending through the bonding tool, the free air ball being formed at a free air ball formation area of the wire bonding machine; a bond site area for holding a semiconductor device during a wire bonding operation; and a gas delivery mechanism configured to provide a cover gas to: (1) the bond site area whereby the cover gas is ejected through at least one aperture of the gas delivery mechanism to the bond site area, and (2) the free air ball formation area, wherein the gas delivery mechanism defines a through hole from a top surface of the gas delivery mechanism to a bottom surface of the gas delivery mechanism, the through hole being configured to receive the bonding tool during the wire bonding operation, wherein the through hole defined by the gas delivery mechanism includes the free air ball formation area, wherein the through hole is continuously tapered along its entire length, and wherein a diameter of the tapered through hole at the bottom surface is larger than a diameter of the tapered through hole at the top surface.