Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Encapsulated
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-26
2001-05-08
Hardy, David (Department: 2815)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Encapsulated
73, 73, 73
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229222
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip having a surface provided with at least an electronic circuit and a resin sealing hermetically sealing the surface of the semiconductor chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices have been used in various fields. Reduction in device dimensions and weight, and device miniaturization have been required of semiconductor devices applied to portable devices, such as IC cards, portable telephone sets, portable game machines and portable personal computers, and such reduction and miniaturization has progressively become important in recent years with the diffusion of portable devices. Various semiconductor devices have been proposed to meet such a demand in, for example:
Cited reference 1: JP-A No. 3-104141
Cited reference 2: JP-A No. 8-064725
In a semiconductor device proposed in Cited reference 1, projections connected to the pads of an IC chip project from a plastic molding generally sealing the IC chip. In a semiconductor device proposed in Cited reference 2, bumps or Au balls are formed on pads arranged in the periphery of a semiconductor chip, respectively, so that the bumps or the Au balls are exposed on the surface of a plastic molding.
It is known from those cited references that the semiconductor chip of the semiconductor device is provided on its surface with an electronic circuit. Signals are exchanged between the electronic circuit of the semiconductor chip and an external device, such as a wiring board on which the semiconductor chip is mounted, through bumps and electrode pads formed on the surface of the semiconductor chip; that is, the electrode pads are electrically connected to the electronic circuit formed on the surface of the semiconductor chip and the bumps to which external devices apply signals.
The surface of the semiconductor chip of the semiconductor device is divided into a circuit forming region in which the electronic circuit is formed, and an electrode pad region in which the electrode pads electrically connected to the electronic circuit and to the bumps through which signals are exchanged between the electronic circuit and external devices. The circuit forming region is in a central part of the surface of the semiconductor chip, and the electrode pad region is in a peripheral part of the surface extending along the sides of the semiconductor chip, i.e., a part surrounding the circuit forming region. The circuit forming region and the electrode pad region are thus arranged to facilitate work for connecting the electrode pads to the bumps and to avoid adversely affecting the electronic circuit when scribing a wafer to divide the wafer into semiconductor chips.
Generally, the bumps of the semiconductor device are formed at standardized positions. Therefore, it is difficult to form the bumps at desired positions when the semiconductor chip is miniaturized to meet the miniaturization of the semiconductor device. For example, when using a semiconductor device disclosed in Cited reference 1 or 2, the semiconductor device may be mounted on a wiring board provided with electrode pads corresponding to the respective positions of the bumps of the semiconductor device, and bumps electrically connected to the electrode pads formed in a standard arrangement.
Such a method of mounting the semiconductor device on the wiring board provided with the electrode pads and the bumps in a standard arrangement needs an additional wiring board, and hence increases the cost. Furthermore, since the completed semiconductor device is connected to the additional wiring board to construct a new semiconductor device, a complicated semiconductor device fabricating process is necessary, and additional problems are liable to arise due to the faulty connection of the semiconductor device and the additional wiring board and the separation of the semiconductor device from the additional wiring board.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to solve those problems in the prior art and to provide a semiconductor device meeting demand for miniaturization and weight reduction without entailing increase in cost.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device meeting demand for miniaturization and weight reduction and having a sufficient strength.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device meeting demand for miniaturization and weight reduction and not reducing the degree of freedom of designing the layout of an electronic circuit formed on a semiconductor chip included therein.
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device capable of being fabricated by a simple semiconductor device fabricating method.
With the foregoing object in view, according to a fist aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device comprises: a semiconductor chip having a surface having a circuit forming region provided with an electronic circuit, and an electrode pad region surrounding the circuit forming region and provided with a plurality of first electrode pads electrically connected to the electronic circuit formed in the circuit forming region; a plurality of second electrode pads formed in the circuit forming region in the surface of the semiconductor chip and electrically connected respectively to the corresponding first electrode pads; a resin layer formed on the surface of the semiconductor chip to seal the surface of the semiconductor chip; and a plurality of bumps of a conductive material projecting from the resin layer and electrically connected respectively to the corresponding second electrode pads.
According to the present invention, the bumps may be covered with a metal.
According to the present invention, the back surface of the semiconductor chip may be coated with an insulating material, such as an insulating tape.
According to the present invention, the first and the second electrode pads may electrically be connected by a wiring layer formed on the surface of the semiconductor chip or by wires.
According to the present invention, the circuit forming region in the surface of the semiconductor chip may be covered with a protective layer of an insulating material, and the second electrode pads may be formed on the protective layer.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor chip having a surface having a circuit forming region provided with an electronic circuit, and an electrode pad region surrounding the circuit forming region and provided with a plurality of first electrode pads electrically connected to the electronic circuit formed in the circuit forming region comprises: forming the plurality of first electrode pads in the electrode pad region in the surface of the semiconductor chip; forming a plurality of second electrode pads in the circuit forming region in the surface of the semiconductor chip; forming a wiring layer electrically connecting the first electrode pads and the second electrode pads on the surface of the semiconductor chip; forming first bumps on the second electrode pads; and forming a sealing resin layer on the surface of the semiconductor chip so that the semiconductor chip can send signals to and can receive signals from external devices through the first bumps.
According to the present invention, second bumps may be formed on the first bumps before or after the step of forming the sealing resin layer on the surface of the semiconductor chip.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor chip having a surface having a circuit forming region provided with an electronic circuit, and an electrode pad region surrounding the circuit forming region and provided with a plurality of first electrode pads electrically connected to the electronic circuit formed in the
Cruz Lourdes
Hardy David
Jones Volentine, L.L.C.
OKI Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
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