Abstract: In the manufacture of semiconductor packages having molded plastic bodies, the plating of all of the surfaces of the molding tool that comes into contact with the molten resin during molding with a nodular thin dense chromium (“NTDC”) coating prevents the surfaces from adhering to the package body and ensures good package release, without formation of cracks or craters in the package body. This, in turn, permits the amount of both release agents and adhesion promoters used in the molding compound to be substantially reduced, or eliminated altogether, thereby resulting in a package body having improved strength and adhesion with the components of the package, and hence, an improved resistance of the package body to the propagation of cracks and its subsequent penetration by moisture.

Abstract: A low cost electronic device package having greatly improved heat dissipation capability. The package includes a heat slug, preferably formed from oxygen-free high-conductivity copper, that has a surface exposed outside the package. A simplified and inexpensive manufacturing method is described using a "drop in" technique. Using this technique, the size and shape of the heat slug is dependent only on the size and shape of the mold cavity; the package may have any number of leads and any size die. The heat slug is preferably formed with fins around its circumference so that the slug is self-aligning when it is dropped into the mold cavity. Preferably, slots are formed through the heat slug to provide improved encapsulant flow during the encapsulation process and interlocking between slug and encapsulant in the finished package.