An apparatus detects the presence or absence of a semiconductor device. The apparatus includes a wire bonding machine to form a connection with the semiconductor device, and a camera to form an image of a position of the semiconductor device. A processor controls the wire bonding machine and transforms the image to pixel data. Additionally, the processor converts the pixel data to discrimination data to indicate whether the semiconductor device is present. The processor controls the wire bonding machine in accordance with the presence or the absence of the semiconductor device.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device which includes providing a shaped bond pad, preferably rectangular or oval. A cavity followed by a hill are formed in the bond pad by performing a probe test at one end portion of the bond pad. Then a ball bond is formed on the bond pad remote and spaced from the cavity. The ball bond can extend onto the hill or be spaced from the hill. The bond pad preferably has a greater length than width and the cavity, hill and ball bond are disposed successively along the length of the bond pad. The length of the bond pad in the direction normal to the cavity, the hill and the ball bond is greater than the sum of the diameter of a probe tip with which a probe test will be made on the bond pad and the diameter of the ball bond.