Patent Document ID: 20020130158
Application ID: 09808803
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for monitoring a bonding process in which a bond wire is bonded to a contact surface, the method including: (i) recalling from a memory at least one parameter associated with the bonding process; (ii) before the bonding process is carried out, establishing an electric circuit including the bond wire, generating an electric probe signal at a first point in the circuit, and measuring the voltage at a second point in the circuit; (iii) after the bonding process is carried out, generating an electric probe signal at the first point in the circuit, and measuring the voltage at the second point in the circuit; and (iv) estimating from the measurements whether the bonding process was satisfactory; steps (ii) and (iii) and/or step (iv) employing at least one parameter recalled in step (i).