Abstract: A package structure and fabrication method thereof. The structure includes a substrate having a terminal, a chip overlying the substrate, the chip having an active surface, having a center region and periphery region, the periphery region having an electrode thereon, a patterned cover plate overlying the chip and exposing the electrode, a conductive material electrically connecting the electrode and terminal, and an encapsulant covering the terminal, conductive material, and electrode, but exposing the cover plate overlying the center region of the chip.

Abstract: A package structure and fabrication method thereof. The structure includes a substrate having a terminal, a chip overlying the substrate, the chip having an active surface, having a center region and periphery region, the periphery region having an electrode thereon, a patterned cover plate overlying the chip and exposing the electrode, a conductive material electrically connecting the electrode and terminal, and an encapsulant covering the terminal, conductive material, and electrode, but exposing the cover plate overlying the center region of the chip.

Abstract: A package structure and fabrication method thereof. The structure includes a substrate having a terminal, a chip overlying the substrate, the chip having an active surface, having a center region and periphery region, the periphery region having an electrode thereon, a patterned cover plate overlying the chip and exposing the electrode, a conductive material electrically connecting the electrode and terminal, and an encapsulant covering the terminal, conductive material, and electrode, but exposing the cover plate overlying the center region of the chip.

Abstract: A matrix form semiconductor package substrate that has an electrode situated in-between a plurality of IC package substrates for providing electrical communication to conductive pads on the substrate is provided. The matrix form semiconductor package substrate includes a plurality of IC package substrates that are integrally formed on a strip in a matrix pattern that has a boundary between each two of the plurality of IC package substrates. Each of the plurality of IC package substrates has a multiplicity of conductive pad traces and an electrode, or a plating bar, formed in a serpentine configuration along the boundary for providing electrical communication to the multiplicity of conductive pads.

Abstract: A new method is provided for the interface between a stress relieve interface layer of polyimide and a thereover created layer of mold compound. The invention provides for creating a pattern in the stress relieve layer of polyimide before the layer of mold compound is formed over the stress relieve layer of polyimide.

Abstract: A heat spreader and package structure utilizing the same. The heat spreader is embedded in an encapsulant of a package and above a chip therein, wherein the package has a substrate, having a molding gate, and the chip has a center and a corner which is the farthest from the molding gate. The spreader includes a base with a hollow portion therethrough, a plurality of support leads, protruding from the base, on the inner edge, and a cap plate, having a hole at least directly above a region between the center and the corner of the chip, fixed by the support leads to be above the hollow portion, the cap plate.

Abstract: A multi-layered semiconductor structure with free areas limiting the placement of test keys. First and second scribe lines intersect to define one corner point of a die. The first and second scribe lines are part of the multilayered structure and at least one layer of the multi-layer structure is a low-k dielectric layer. Free area A1 is defined on the first scribe line and is defined by the equation A1=D1×S1, where D1 is the distance from the corner point of the die toward the main area of the die, and S1 is the width of the first scribe line. Free area AS is defined at the intersection of the first scribe line and the second scribe line adjacent the die and is defined by the equation AS=S1×S2, where S2 is the width of the second scribe line.

Abstract: An under bump metallurgy (UBM) structure formed over a bond pad and for use in conjunction with a solder ball, provides an upper copper layer over a subjacent composite film that includes a nickel film over a further copper film over a titanium film. One or more reflow operations are used to form a molten solder ball and conditions are selected to ensure that all of the copper from the upper copper layer is dissolved within the molten solder. For SnAg leadfree solder, this leads to the formation of SnAgCu-like leadfree solder. The resulting interface between the solder ball and the nickel layer includes regularly spaced Cu6Sn5 nodules as intermetallics but is free of Ni3Sn4 which can spall into the molten solder causing reliability problems.

Abstract: A heat spreader and package structure utilizing the same. The heat spreader is embedded in an encapsulant of a package and above a chip therein, wherein the package has a substrate, having a molding gate, and the chip has a center and a corner which is the farthest from the molding gate. The spreader includes a base with a hollow portion therethrough, a plurality of support leads, protruding from the base, on the inner edge, and a cap plate, having a hole at least directly above a region between the center and the corner of the chip, fixed by the support leads to be above the hollow portion, the cap plate.

Abstract: A heat spreader and package structure utilizing the same. The heat spreader is embedded in an encapsulant of a package and above a chip therein, wherein the package has a substrate, having a molding gate, and the chip has a center and a corner which is the farthest from the molding gate. The spreader includes a base with a hollow portion therethrough, a plurality of support leads, protruding from the base, on the inner edge, and a cap plate, having a hole at least directly above a region between the center and the corner of the chip, fixed by the support leads to be above the hollow portion, the cap plate.

Abstract: Described is a semiconductor device having improved semiconductor bond pad reliability and methods of manufacturing thereof. The semiconductor device includes a layer formed over an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate. The first layer includes a conductive portion and an insulating portion. A second layer is then formed over the first layer and includes a conductive portion corresponding to the first layer's conductive portion and an insulating portion corresponding to the first layer's insulating portion. A bond pad is then formed over the first and second layers such that the bond pad is substantially situated above the conductive portions and the insulating portions of the first and second layers. A bonding ball is then formed on the bond pad substantially above the conduction portion of the first and second layers.

Abstract: A ball grid array (BGA) package having a thermally enhanced dummy chip is provided. In one embodiment, the package comprises a substrate. A chip is attached to the substrate. A heat spreader is disposed over the chip, and a dummy chip is disposed between the heat spreader and the chip. In one embodiment, the dummy chip is pre-attached to the heat spreader prior to placement in the BGA package. With the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the dummy chip being approximately equal to the CTE of the chip, the stress in the BGA package is reduced, thereby reducing interface delamination among the components of the BGA package.

Abstract: Described is a semiconductor device having improved semiconductor bond pad reliability and methods of manufacturing thereof. The semiconductor device includes a layer formed over an integrated circuit on a semiconductor substrate. The first layer includes a conductive portion and an insulating portion. A second layer is then formed over the first layer and includes a conductive portion corresponding to the first layer's conductive portion and an insulating portion corresponding to the first layer's insulating portion. A bond pad is then formed over the first and second layers such that the bond pad is substantially situated above the conductive portions and the insulating portions of the first and second layers. A bonding ball is then formed on the bond pad substantially above the conduction portion of the first and second layers.

Abstract: A multi-layered semiconductor structure with free areas limiting the placement of test keys. First and second scribe lines intersect to define one corner point of a die. The first and second scribe lines are part of the multilayered structure and at least one layer of the multi-layer structure is a low-k dielectric layer. Free area A1 is defined on the first scribe line and is defined by the equation A1=D1×S1, where D1 is the distance from the corner point of the die toward the main area of the die, and S1 is the width of the first scribe line. Free area AS is defined at the intersection of the first scribe line and the second scribe line adjacent the die and is defined by the equation AS=S1×S2, where S2 is the width of the second scribe line.

Abstract: A multi-layered semiconductor structure with free areas limiting the placement of test keys. First and second scribe lines intersect to define one corner point of a die. The first and second scribe lines are part of the multilayered structure and at least one layer of the multi-layer structure is a low-k dielectric layer. Free area A1 is defined on the first scribe line and is defined by the equation A1=D1×S1, where D1 is the distance from the corner point of the die toward the main area of the die, and S1 is the width of the first scribe line. Free area AS is defined at the intersection of the first scribe line and the second scribe line adjacent the die and is defined by the equation AS=S1×S2, where S2 is the width of the second scribe line.

Abstract: Non-cavity semiconductor packages. One embodiment of the packages includes a non-cavity substrate, a first die, an encapsulant, and a second die. The non-cavity substrate comprises a first surface and an opposite second surface. The first surface comprises an external terminal thereon. The first die is attached and wire-bonded to the first surface of the substrate. The encapsulant covers the first die. The second die electrically connects to the second surface of the substrate. The second die is larger than the first die.

Abstract: A heat spreader and package structure utilizing the same. The heat spreader is embedded in an encapsulant of a package and above a chip therein, wherein the package has a substrate, having a molding gate, and the chip has a center and a corner which is the farthest from the molding gate. The spreader includes a base with a hollow portion therethrough, a plurality of support leads, protruding from the base, on the inner edge, and a cap plate, having a hole at least directly above a region between the center and the corner of the chip, fixed by the support leads to be above the hollow portion, the cap plate.

Abstract: A package structure and fabrication method thereof. The structure includes a substrate having a terminal, a chip overlying the substrate, the chip having an active surface, having a center region and periphery region, the periphery region having an electrode thereon, a patterned cover plate overlying the chip and exposing the electrode, a conductive material electrically connecting the electrode and terminal, and an encapsulant covering the terminal, conductive material, and electrode, but exposing the cover plate overlying the center region of the chip.

Abstract: A probe card having a member for sending and receiving electrical signals for operational testing of a semiconductor integrated circuit, and a plurality of probe pins extending from the member in a manner which causes free ends of the pins to contact wafer test pads substantially across a maximum dimension of the pads. Also, a test pad for a wafer or a substrate having a pad of electrically conductive material disposed in an area between seal rings of the wafer or substrate, the pad having a shape and/or a rotational orientation within the area between the seal rings that minimizes pad material immediately adjacent the seal rings.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a bonding pad formed on an IC chip for electrically coupling the IC chip to another device or component, and associated methods of manufacturing the bonding pad. In one embodiment, the bonding pad comprises a bonding portion having a bonding surface configured to receive an electrical connector. The bonding pad further comprises a probing portion having a probing surface adjacent and electrically coupled to the bonding surface, and configured to receive a probe tip for testing to the operation of the integrated circuit chip. In this embodiment, the bonding pad comprises a first planar dimension measured across the bonding portion and the adjacent probing portion, where the bonding portion further comprises a second planar dimension measured substantially perpendicular to the first planar dimension, and the probing portion comprises a third planar dimension measured substantially perpendicular to the first planar dimension and being less than the second planar dimension.