Abstract: A plastic encapsulation of the chip carrier type for a semiconductor integrated circuit is described. The package includes a lead frame member formed from a continuous metal tape which permits reel-to-reel automatic processing. The lead frame member provides the entire means for connecting from electrodes on the active or front surface of the semiconductor chip to contact members external to the encapsulation. The lead frame member also includes integral backside contact members providing electrical and thermal contact to the back surface of the semiconductor chip. The backside contact members similarly are integral with contact members external to the encapsulation. The interconnected structure including the lead frame member and semiconductor chip is housed in a molded plastic encapsulation. The package is capable of very small dimensions and is adapted for a high degree of automatic fabrication, including handling in stick-type magazines for subsequent operations such as testing, aging, and assembly.