Abstract: A method of fabricating a flip chip image sensor package includes forming an aperture in a substrate and mounting an image sensor to the substrate. The image sensor is mounted such that an active area of the image sensor is aligned with the aperture. A bead is formed around a periphery of the image sensor. An aperture side of the aperture, the image sensor, and the bead define a pocket. The method further includes filling the pocket with a transparent liquid encapsulant and hardening the transparent liquid encapsulant. The hardened transparent liquid encapsulant serves as the window for the flip chip image sensor package.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes include a package allowing for increased thermal dissipation. The device includes a power MOSFET die that is electrically connected to a portion of the substrate with a metal strap. The die and at least portions of the strap and substrate are encapsulated in an insulative encapsulant, such as molded plastic. A top surface of the strap is exposed to the environment through the encapsulant. The exposed surface may have grooves formed therein, or fins formed thereon, to facilitate heat transfer.

Abstract: Semiconductor packages and methods of making packages are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a printed circuit board having a first surface with circuit traces thereon, first apertures, and a second aperture. Each circuit trace overlies a first aperture, and an end of the circuit trace is near the second aperture. Solder balls are placed in each first aperture and fused to the overlying circuit trace. A die is placed in the second aperture. Each circuit trace may include a third aperture over the first aperture. Solder from the solder ball within the first aperture fills the overlying third aperture. A second package can be stacked on a first package. Solder balls of the second package each fuse with an underlying solder ball of the first package through a third aperture of the first package. The dies of the stacked packages may be positioned for optical communication with each other.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting hypersensitive microcircuits on the face of a semiconductor wafer from contamination and mechanical damage during die sawing and subsequent die handling operations include the provision of a plastic sheet having an array of protective domes formed into it, the array corresponding to the array of microcircuits on the wafer, and the temporary adhesion of the sheet to the face of the wafer such that each die in the wafer is covered by a respective one of the domes, with an associated one of the microcircuits protectively sealed therein. Die sawing is performed with the component side of the wafer facing up, the cut passing between the domes and through the thicknesses of both the domed sheet and the wafer such that each die is separated from the wafer, with a corresponding one of the domes still attached to it. The domes may be removed later when the dies are located in a more benign environment by simply peeling them off the die.

Abstract: An electronic component is mounted to an upper surface of a substrate. A heat sink is aligned above the electronic component and supported by spring elements of the heat sink on the upper surface of the substrate. The spring elements press the heat sink against a mold half during encapsulation to prevent flash from forming on the heat sink and also operate to ground the heat sink.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes a substrate having a central aperture. Electrically conductive traces on a lower surface of the substrate include tabs projecting below and under hanging the central aperture. An image sensor is flip chip mounted to the tabs and thus supported in the central aperture by the tabs. By mounting the image sensor in the central aperture, the resulting image sensor package is relatively thin.

Abstract: A mounting for a package containing a semiconductor chip is disclosed, along with methods of making such a mounting. The mounting includes a substrate having a mounting surface with conductive traces thereon, and an aperture extending through the substrate. The package includes a base, such as a leadframe or a laminate sheet, and input/output terminals. A chip is on a first side of the base and is electrically connected (directly or indirectly) to the input/output terminals. A cap, which may be a molded encapsulant, is provided on the first side of the base over the chip. The package is mounted on the substrate so that the cap is in the aperture, and a peripheral portion of the first side of the base is over the mounting surface so as to support the package in the aperture and allow the input/output terminals of the package to be juxtaposed with to the circuit patterns of the mounting surface. Because the cap is within the aperture, a height of the package above the mounting surface is minimized.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes a molding having a locking feature. The package further includes a snap lid having a tab, where the tab is attached to the locking feature of the molding. To form the image sensor package, a window is placed in a pocket of the molding. The snap lid is secured in place. Once secured, the snap lid presses against a peripheral region of an exterior surface of the window. The window is sandwiched between the molding and the snap lid and held in place.

Abstract: A micromachine package includes a micromachine chip mounted as a flip chip to a substrate. The micromachine chip includes a micromachine area and bond pads formed on a front surface of the micromachine chip. The substrate includes traces formed on an upper surface of the substrate. The bond pads are coupled to the traces by bumps, e.g., formed of solder. The micromachine package is sealed with a package body formed from a cured limited flow liquid encapsulant to protect the micromachine area from the ambient environment. More particularly, the micromachine chip, the package body and the substrate define a sealed cavity, and the micromachine area is located within the sealed cavity.

Abstract: To form a micromachine package, bond pads on a front surface of a controller chip are aligned with corresponding traces on a front surface of a micromachine chip. The bond pads are physically connected to the traces thus mounting the controller chip as a flip chip to the micromachine chip. A bead is formed around a periphery of the controller chip. The bead and the controller chip form an enclosure around a micromachine area in the front surface of the micromachine chip. This enclosure protects the micromachine area from the ambient environment.

Abstract: A novel semiconductor package comprises a rigid dielectric, e.g., ceramic, substrate having first and second portions joined to one another at respective margins thereof to form an angle, e.g., a right angle, between the portions. Each of the portions has electrically conductive paths connected to one another through the angle. A semiconductor device, e.g., a die, is mounted to the first portion and electrically connected to the conductive paths thereof. An array of electrically conductive lands, balls, or pins are mounted on the second portion for connecting the package to a printed circuit board. In a high-power embodiment, the device is mounted directly on a threaded stud projecting from the first portion to enable intimate thermal coupling of the device to a heat sink. In another embodiment, a connector projects from the first portion to optically couple an optical device directly to an end of a fiber optic cable.

Abstract: Semiconductor chip packages having molded plastic substrates and recessed I/O terminals are disclosed, along with methods of making such packages. In an exemplary embodiment, the molded plastic substrate includes a metal interconnect pattern and a plurality of indentations in a surface thereof. Each indentation may include at least one projection. The indentation and any projections therein are covered by a metal lining. A metal contact, which serves as an I/O terminal, is placed in each of the indentations and is fused to the metal lining thereof. A chip is mounted on the substrate and is electrically connected to the metal contacts by the interconnect pattern. The package further includes a lid or hardened encapsulant over the chip.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes an image sensor having an upper surface. The image sensor further includes an active area and bond pads on the upper surface. A window is supported above the active area by a window support. Interior traces are formed on a lower surface of a step up ring. Electrically conductive bumps are formed between the interior traces on the lower surface of the step up ring and the bond pads on the upper surface of the image sensor thus flip chip mounting the step up ring to the image sensor. Electrically conductive vias extend through the step up ring to electrically connect the interior traces to exterior traces formed on an upper surface of the step up ring.

Abstract: A vacuum sealed package for a semiconductor chip, such as a micro-electromechanical (MEM) chip, is disclosed, along with a method of making such a package. In an exemplary embodiment, the package includes a ceramic substrate and a lid that together define a cavity wherein the chip is mounted. The substrate includes a conductive (e.g., metal) interconnect pattern that extends, at least in part, vertically through the substrate. I/O terminals are provided on an external surface of the substrate. A vent hole, at least partially lined with a metal coating, extends through the substrate into the cavity. A metal plug seals the vent hole. The vent hole is sealed by placing the package in a vacuum chamber, evacuating the chamber, and heating the chamber so as to cause a metal preform on the substrate to flow into the vent hole and form the plug.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes a molding having a locking feature. The package further includes a snap lid having a tab, where the tab is attached to the locking feature of the molding. To form the image sensor package, a window is placed in a pocket of the molding. The snap lid is secured in place. Once secured, the snap lid presses against a peripheral region of an exterior surface of the window. The window is sandwiched between the molding and the snap lid and held in place.

Abstract: A micromachine package includes a micromachine chip having a micromachine area in a front surface of the micromachine chip. The package further includes a controller chip having a rear surface and a front surface. Bond pads are on the front surface of the controller chip. A bead secures the rear surface of the controller chip to the front surface of the micromachine chip. By mounting the controller chip directly on the micromachine chip, the size of the package is minimized. Further, the bead and controller chip form an enclosure around the micromachine area. This enclosure protects the micromachine area from the ambient environment.

Abstract: A package for an integrated circuit device, having a die, a die pad, leads, bond wire, and an encapsulant. The lower surfaces of the die pad and the leads are provided with stepped profiles. Structures extending from lateral sides of the leads are formed to prevent the leads from being pulled horizontally from the package. Encapsulant material fills beneath the recessed, substantially horizontal surfaces of the die pad and the leads, and thereby prevents the die pad and the leads from being pulled vertically from the package body. Other portions of the die pad and the leads are exposed within the package for connecting the package externally.

Abstract: Package embodiments for housing an electronic device are disclosed, along with methods of making and interconnecting the packages. The package body may be formed of an injection molded plastic encapsulant. The package body includes a cavity in which the electronic device is contained. A lid extends over the open end of the cavity. Metal leads extend from the package body. A first portion of each lead is at a lower surface of the package body, a second portion of each lead extends vertically adjacent to a peripheral side of the package body, and a third portion of each lead extends over the package lid at a top surface of the package. The package has a key formed in the lid or at the first surface of the package body. The key is adapted so as to engage a corresponding key hole in another package stacked therewith. Abutting leads of the stacked packages form an electrical connection between the packages.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes an image sensor having an upper surface. The image sensor further includes an active area and bond pads on the upper surface. A window is supported above the active area by a window support. A step up ring is mounted above a noncritical region of the upper surface of the image sensor between the active area and the bond pads. Electrically conductive traces on the step up ring are electrically connected to the bond pads by bond wires. An inner package body is formed between the step up ring and the window support and mechanically locks the window in place. An outer package body is formed to enclose the bond wires, the bond pads, and outer sides of the step up ring. The outer package body has outer sides coplanar with sides of the image sensor such that the image sensor assembly is chip size.

Abstract: To form an image sensor package, a series of shallow cuts are made in an interior surface of a window sheet having a plurality of windows. A window support layer is formed on an upper surface of a wafer having a plurality of image sensors. The interior surface of the window sheet is pressed into the window support layer such that the windows are above active areas of the image sensors. The shallow cuts in combination with the window support layer define cavities above bond pads of the image sensors. The window sheet is cut from an exterior surface directly opposite of the cavities above the bond pads to singulating the windows from one another. The wafer is then singulated to form a plurality of image sensor packages.