Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Packaging or treatment of packaged semiconductor – Making plural separate devices
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-29
2001-05-29
Picardat, Kevin M. (Department: 2823)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Packaging or treatment of packaged semiconductor
Making plural separate devices
C438S121000, C438S123000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06238952
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor chip packages, and more specifically to low-pin-count chip packages and manufacturing methods thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1
is a low-pin-count chip package
100
according to a preferred embodiment disclosed in R. O. C. Publication No. 348306 entitled “Device Having Resin Package And Method Of Producing The Same”. The low-pin-count chip package
100
includes a chip
110
sealed in a package body
120
. The active surface of the chip
110
is provided with a plurality of bonding pads
110
a
electrically connected to a plurality of connection pads
130
. The backside surface of the chip
110
is exposed from the package body
120
through a conductive adhesive layer
112
. The connection pads
130
are located at the periphery of the chip
110
and exposed from the lower surface of the package body
120
for making external electrical connection.
R. O. C. Publication No. 348306 also discloses a method for making the low-pin-count chip package
100
. The method mainly utilizes a metal frame
140
(see
FIG. 2
) to fabricate a plurality of the low-pin-count chip packages
100
simultaneously. The method comprises the steps of: (A) applying a photoresist layer over one surface of the metal frame
140
, pattern transferring, and developing in a manner that areas on the metal frame
140
at which it is desired to form the connection pads
130
are not covered by the photoresist layer; (B) plating a layer of metal such as gold or palladium on the areas on the metal frame
140
without protection of the photoresist layer; (C) stripping the remaining photoresist; (D) attaching the backside surface of the semiconductor chip
110
onto the metal frame
140
through an adhesive layer; (E) electrically coupling the bonding pads
11
Oa on the semiconductor chip
110
to the corresponding connection pads
130
; (F) forming a package body over the semiconductor chip
110
. Finally, a separation step is performed to remove the metal frame
140
. As shown in
FIG. 2
, the separation step typically comprises selectively etching the metal frame
140
with the connection pads
130
remaining intact by an etching agent.
Since the package body
120
does not cover the exposed lower surface of the connection pads
130
, it can not firmly lock the connection pads
130
. Adhesion depends on the overall nature of the interface region. A method for promoting adhesion is increasing the area of the interface between the package body
120
and the connection pads
130
. However, since the connection pads
130
are formed by plating, the thickness thereof is practically limited to the time for plating. Typically, thickness of the metal plating is only about 0.4 to 0.8 mil, which contributes quite little to the adhesion between the package body
120
and the connection pads
130
.
The connection pads
130
are usually made of metal with good electrical conductivity such as copper but the package body
120
is made of insulating material such as epoxy molding compound. Accordingly, the bond between connection pads
130
and the package body
120
is relatively weak and the difference of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) therebetween is very large. Because of the CTE mismatch, stresses are induced at the interface between the connection pads and the plastic package body as the conventional package experiences temperature cycling. The stresses, in turn, result in the delamination at the metal-plastic interface. When the delaminations had occurred at the plastic-metal interface, moistures from the environment are easy to penetrate into the plastic package body and accumulate in the delaminated area. Once moisture accumulates in the package, rapid temperature ramp-up will cause the moisture to vaporize and expand, thereby inducing an hygrothermal stresses in the delaminated area which causes the surrounding plastic package body to popcorn. One of the most common occurrence of package popcorning occurs when the package described above is surface-mounted to a printed wiring board during the Infra-Red reflowing process.
Therefore, there is a need for increasing the thickness of connection pads
130
so as to increase the area of the interface between the package body and the connection pads thereby promoting adhesion therebetween, thereby overcoming, or at least reducing the abovementioned problems of the prior art.
Further, the conventional package
100
is mounted to a substrate, such as a circuit board, like other leadless devices. For example, a PC board is screened printed with a solder paste in a pattern that corresponds to the pattern of the connection pads
130
exposed from the bottom surface of the package
100
. The package
100
is then appropriately positioned on the PC board and the solder is reflowed. It should be understood that the exposed portions of the connection pads
130
of the package
100
can be printed with solder paste and then mounted to a substrate. However, either way requires extreme care in aligning the solder paste with the connection pads
130
exposed from the bottom surface of the package
100
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,676 discloses a low-pin-count chip package
150
(see
FIG. 3
) having a plurality of column leads
162
. The package
150
comprises a semiconductor chip
172
disposed on a die pad
160
and electrically connected to the column leads
162
. A package body
180
is formed over the semiconductor chip
172
and the column leads
162
. The package
150
is characterized in that the die pad
160
and the column leads
162
extend outward from the package body
180
. The projecting portions of the column leads
162
from the bottom of the package
150
facilitate surface mounting of the package
150
to a substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,676 also discloses a method for making the low-pin-count chip package
150
comprising the steps of: (a) providing a copper foil having a polyimide layer
152
formed on the bottom surface thereof; (b) etching the copper foil so as to form a die pad
160
and a plurality of column leads
162
(see FIG.
4
); (c) forming a metal layer
166
(such as gold or palladium) on the upper surface of the die pad
160
and column leads
162
as well as exposed areas on the surface of the polyimide layer
152
(see FIG.
5
); (d) attaching a semiconductor chip
172
onto the metal layer on the die pad through an adhesive layer
170
; (e) electrically coupling the bonding pads
172
a
on the semiconductor chip
172
to the corresponding column leads
162
; (f) forming a package body
180
over the semiconductor chip
172
, column leads
162
and the polyimide layer
152
(see FIG.
6
); (g) removing the polyimide layer
152
and the metal layer
166
thereon simultaneously thereby obtaining the package
150
.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,676 teaches that the metal layer
166
is formed by plating. Therefore, in step (c), the metal layer
166
should also appear on the side surfaces of the die pad
160
and the column leads
162
such that the die pad
160
and the column leads
162
will be removed from the package body
180
together with the polyimide layer
152
and the metal layer
166
during step (g). Accordingly, the side surfaces of the die pad
160
and the column leads
162
should be masked whereby the metal layer
166
will not form on the side surfaces thereof. However, this will introduce additional steps into the process for the package
150
thereby prolonging cycle time, and thereby increasing cost. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,900,676 also teaches that the thickness of the metal layer
166
is preferably half the thickness of the die pad
160
or the column leads
162
. However, below a certain thickness, the die pad
160
and column leads
162
cannot be relied upon for providing adequate adhesion to the package body
180
. Therefore, the time for plating the metal layer
166
will become so long that the cycle time is significantly increased. Thus, this previously described method for making the low-pin-count chip package
1
Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc.
Collins Deven M.
Picardat Kevin M.
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