Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Combined with electrical contact or lead – Chip mounted on chip
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-19
2004-05-04
Thai, Luan (Department: 2827)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Combined with electrical contact or lead
Chip mounted on chip
C257S723000, C257S676000, C257S691000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06731011
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to integrated circuit packaging and, more particularly, to a memory subsystem encapsulated in a molded resin, where the subsystem comprises integrated circuits that are interconnected and stacked, preferably, upon a first portion (i.e., paddle) of a lead frame. The second portion (i.e., conductors) of the lead frame extend toward the first portion and receive bonding wires that are coupled to respective bonding pads on the stacked integrated circuits. As such, the second portion of the memory subsystem may form edge connectors configured as substantially planar pads extending along an outer surface of the encapsulated subsystem. The exposed surface of the edge connectors may frictionally contact an outer surface of corresponding pads arranged within a receptor of an electronic system, such that the receptor may thereby receive the memory subsystem.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following descriptions and examples are not admitted to be prior art by virtue of their inclusion within this section.
An electronic system is typically known as any device that may receive, transmit, and process electronic signals. Examples of popular electronic systems may include the personal computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), digital camera, or any other electronic-based appliance used in a consumer setting. A commonality among all electronic systems may be that they employ an interconnection of one or more circuits. Depending on the amount of integration, the circuits may be formed on a single monolithic substrate, often a silicon substrate, henceforth referred to as an integrated circuit.
Typical electronic systems may include one or more integrated circuits connected to each other by conductors. Thus, circuits within one integrated circuit may communicate with circuits within another integrated circuit. In order to protect the functionality of the circuits, each integrated circuit may be placed in a package to seal the integrated circuit from the environment. In addition to protecting an integrated circuit, a package may also help to distribute signals sent to and from the integrated circuit and, depending on the materials used, the package may also help dissipate heat that occurs during operation of the integrated circuit.
There may be numerous types of integrated circuit packages, though typically packages may be categorized as either ceramic packages or plastic packages. Ceramic packages may surround the encased integrated circuit with air, while plastic packages generally employ a resin that may fill the space between the integrated circuit and the surrounding package. Plastic packages may be less expensive than ceramic packages. Regardless of whether a package may be ceramic or plastic, there may be numerous package configurations and lead arrangements extending from the package. The package leads may serve to communicate signals between an integrated circuit and, thus, may be electrically connected to corresponding bonding pads on the integrated circuit in one of possibly three ways: wire bonding, Tape-Automated Bonding (TAB), or flip-chip attachment. Each arrangement is relatively well known and may be used in different applications based on cost constraints and the density of the integrated circuit bonding pads.
After a package may be formed around the integrated circuit, the matter of connecting one packaged integrated circuit to another packaged integrated circuit generally involves a printed circuit board or “card.” A card is a rigid, substantially planar backbone element that employs one or more layers of trace conductors separated by a dielectric layer. The trace conductors may extend along one or more of layers of the card, and may connect leads of one integrated circuit to leads of another integrated circuit through vias. The printed circuit board may have plated-through holes (or vias) to accommodate downward extending leads of a packaged integrated circuit, or may simply have a square or rectangular pad on which planar surfaces of the packaged integrated circuit leads may be surface-mounted. The card may serve not only to interconnect signals between integrated circuits, but may also provide mechanical support for multiple integrated circuits arranged within a chassis of an electronic system. The card may thereby suffice to arrange the bonded integrated circuits a spaced distance from each other within the confines of the chassis.
In addition, numerous ways may exist in which to configure a card and the integrated circuits bonded to that card. For example,
FIG. 1
illustrates a memory card
10
with edge connectors
12
. Edge connectors
12
may be arranged on the backside surface of card
10
near a forward-leading edge
14
of card
10
. According to such an example, edge
14
may be inserted through slot
16
extending through chassis
18
of an electronic system
20
.
Therefore, memory card
10
may be inserted into receptor
22
, which may be electrically connected to, for example, another card
24
. Like card
10
, card
24
may also contain printed conductors and one or more integrated circuits
26
interconnected with each other on a surface of card
24
. However, in contrast to card
24
, card
10
may include a specific purpose that may be universally applied to an electronic system, and may be obtainable from numerous vendors in the memory technology sector. Thus, card
10
may be a memory card, and may utilize edge connectors
12
that may frictionally engage conductive elements
28
arranged within receptor
22
. In this manner, edge connectors
12
may be designed to releasably insert into receptor
22
.
Card
10
is illustrated in partial breakaway in FIG.
2
. Card
10
may have one or more interconnected integrated circuits
30
which may also be connected to edge conductors
12
by trace conductors
32
. A memory card preferably uses a form of memory array. A popular memory array may involve an array of non-volatile storage elements. The non-volatile storage elements may be configured on a single monolithic silicon substrate to form a non-volatile memory integrated circuit
30
b
. Along with circuit
30
b
may be memory controller
30
a
. In addition to integrated circuits
30
, card
10
may also have mounted thereon discrete devices, such as decoupling or de-bounce capacitors
34
. Capacitors
34
may serve to minimize transient noise applied to trace conductors
32
.
In addition to the printed circuit board (or card) on which memory
30
b
, memory controller
30
a
, and capacitors
34
may be secured, card
10
may also include covering
36
. Covering
36
may surround and protect the integrated circuits and capacitors mounted on card
10
. Furthermore, tab or switch
38
may be formed as part of covering
36
, such that when moved, switch
38
may prevent a write operation to the memory integrated circuit. Switch
38
thereby suffices to “write protect” memory card
10
. If switch
38
is activated, any signal sent to edge conductors
12
to be written onto the storage elements of memory
30
b
may be prevented from being stored. Activation may occur simply by moving switch
38
from one position to another along the sidewall surface of card
10
.
The memory card
10
shown in the configuration of
FIGS. 1 and 2
gained popularity, for example, during the advent of flash memory. Flash memory may be easily erased and reprogrammed. Once reprogrammed, the data within the flash memory is said to be non-volatile and may remain until erased or again reprogrammed. Thus, card
10
may be erased and reprogrammed while in receptor
22
provided, of course, that switch
38
is not in the write protect position. Once programmed, any data stored within non-volatile memory
30
b
of card
10
may remain, thereby allowing card
10
to be removed and reinserted at a later time whenever that data may be needed—similar to a floppy disk.
At present there are numerous types of memory cards having the aforesaid characteristics. Popular such memory cards include: Sony's memory sti
Chhor Khushrav S.
Verma Vani
Conley & Rose, P.C.
Daffer Kevin L.
Matrix Semiconductor Inc.
Thai Luan
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