A novel approach capable of solving the problem of tight temperature control of the semiconductor bonding operation in the thermocompression die-attach process is described. The main feature of this new approach is the noncontact measurement of the chip's temperature by means of an infrared detector. A single optical fiber, transparent to infrared radiation, is used as the optical system that enables the detector to view the chip while it is held at the tip of the collet. Figures related to the reduction of rejects in the production of ICs are presented, along with other considerations related to time and money savings that can be achieved in this way.