Today's electronic devices are typically made up of hundreds and even thousands of sub-components, many of which are microchip integrated circuits. As examples, cell phones, TVs, computers and cars all have integrated circuit components within them that use thousands of extremely small wires (thinner than a human hair) called wire bonds to form the electrical connections required for them to function. These wire bonds are typically made from gold, copper, or aluminum bonding wire.

Over the years the demand for smaller, more powerful and cheaper microchips constantly pushes designers and manufacturers to produce devices with higher densities and increased functionality. These densely packed devices are at electrical and physical limits where conventional wire bonds made from bare (non-insulated) bonding wires tend to touch and short-circuit causing manufacturing yield problems and restricting microchip designers from implementing further miniaturization or functionality. Over the past 20 years the microelectronic industry has concluded that many of these issues could easily be resolved if bonding wires were insulated and allowed to touch, cross and bundle without compromising product performance, cost and quality.

Microbonds Inc. developed X-Wire™ Insulated Bonding Wire Technology to provide microchip designers and manufacturers with a viable and competitive solution to many of their design, manufacturing, and cost constraints.