Active solid-state devices (e.g. – transistors – solid-state diode – Combined with electrical contact or lead – Configuration or pattern of bonds
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-14
2003-12-09
Prenty, Mark V. (Department: 2822)
Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode
Combined with electrical contact or lead
Configuration or pattern of bonds
C257S773000, C257S775000, C257S691000, C257S692000, C257S701000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06661101
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a multi-pin (terminal for external connection) semiconductor device with an integrated circuit mounted therein, for processing several signals including RF signals, and more specifically, to a semiconductor device wherein pads (electrodes) provided on a semiconductor chip (semiconductor piece) are connected with terminals (terminals for external connection) on the side of a package so as to correspond to each other, respectively, by a bonding wire (thin metal wire), respectively.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With a semiconductor device for processing RF signals, by, for example, directly connecting ground leads juxtaposed with signal leads to the back surface of a semiconductor chip, and further, by providing even a metal sheet in parallel with ground electrodes, grounding impedance at a resonance frequency is rendered zero in order to reduce undesirable reflection at input/output terminals (JP, H8-237001, A). Since such a semiconductor device for RF is generally not highly integrated, and is provided as a single-function item/a special-purpose item, for processing a single or a few signals, pads (electrodes) on the semiconductor chip and terminals for external connection on the side of a package are only a few in number.
On the other hand, with a semiconductor device that does not handle signals at so much high frequencies, but exchanges a large number of signals with the outside, advances have since been made towards multiplication of pins along with higher integration, so that the number of bonding pads as well as bonding wires has increased.
Shown in
FIG. 7
as an example of such a semiconductor device is an IC
1
, which is obtained by packaging a semiconductor chip (semiconductor piece)
2
with a plastic mold
1
a
, and a multitude of terminals (terminals for external connection)
1
b
are also assembled therein in such a way as to be partially exposed. On the central part of the main top surface of the chip
2
, there is formed a signal processing circuit (integrated circuit)
2
a
, on the periphery of which there are formed signal input circuits and signal output circuits (integrated circuits)
2
b
. On the outermost peripheral parts (peripheral edge parts) of the signal processing circuit
2
a
, there are formed bonding pads (electrodes)
2
c
so as to be juxtaposed at predetermined pitches.
Any one (power source electrode) among a multitude of the bonding pads
2
c
is connected with power source lines of the signal processing circuit
2
a
, the signal output circuits
2
b
, etc. via a patterned wiring layer etc., formed in the chip
2
, respectively, and at the same time, is connected with a terminal
1
b
(Vcc) for power source voltage application via a relevant bonding wire
3
. Further, another bonding pad (reference electrode)
2
c
is connected with reference voltage lines of the signal processing circuit
2
a
, the signal output circuits
2
b
, etc. via a patterned wiring layer etc., formed in the chip
2
, respectively, and at the same time, is connected with a grounding terminal
1
b
(GND) via another relevant bonding wire
3
. Remaining bonding pads (signal electrodes)
2
c
are connected with relevant signal lines of the signal processing circuit
2
a
, respectively, either indirectly through the intermediary of relevant signal output circuits
2
b
or directly, and at the same time, are connected with relevant signal terminals
1
b
(Sig), respectively.
With the multi-pin IC
1
, the number of the bonding pads
2
c
formed on the chip
2
is large and in addition, the chip
2
of high circuit integration is so small as to be encapsulated in the plastic mold la while the terminals
1
b
which are substantially the same in number as the bonding pads
2
c
are disposed in the surface location of the plastic mold
1
a
, and in addition, are lined up so as to fit an external mounting condition, so that the pitches at which the bonding pads
2
c
are juxtaposed are narrower than those for the terminals
1
b
, and consequently, the bonding wires
3
are provided radially.
Now, with a fast digital signal processing circuit used in an LDVS (Laser Video Disc System) etc., an RF signal processing circuit used in a wireless LAN (local Area Network) etc., and so forth, the above-described ICs of different types are used selectively or in combination.
In the years ahead of the present situation where advances are being made concurrently towards higher-function, higher-speed, and miniaturization, future demands can be foreseen such that the number of semiconductor chips should be held down while the total number of signals to be processed and the number of RF signals contained in the signals are to be increased.
With the conventional semiconductor device described above, however, all the circuits cannot be formed simply in one chip because of difference in conditions for improving frequency characteristics, conditions concerning bonding spots, and so forth.
Accordingly, in forming an integrated circuit for processing a large number of signals including RF signals in one chip, there is encountered a technical problem to devise some effective means for preventing deterioration of RF signals, in particular, the frequency characteristic thereof, while meeting conditions for connecting bonding pads (electrodes) with pins (terminals for external connection), associated with a multi-pin IC, and other conditions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The Invention has been developed to resolve the problem described, and it is an object of the invention to provide a semiconductor device capable of properly processing RF signals even though the number of electrodes as well as terminals for external connection is large, and pitches at which the electrodes are juxtaposed are narrower than the pitches at which the terminals for external connection are juxtaposed.
With reference to first to fifth problem-solving means according to the invention developed to resolve the problem described above, configurations and operation effects thereof are described hereinafter.
First Problem-solving Means
A semiconductor device according to a first problem-solving means is a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor piece with an integrated circuit for processing signals, formed therein, signal electrodes connected with signal lines of the integrated circuit formed in the semiconductor piece, respectively, a reference electrode connected with a reference voltage line of the integrated circuit formed in the semiconductor piece, a package encapsulating the semiconductor piece, terminals for external connection, juxtaposed on the package at pitches wider than a distance between the respective signal electrodes and the reference electrode adjacent thereto, and a plurality of thin metal wires provided within the package, any thereof connecting any of the terminals for external connection to the respective signal electrodes while any other thereof connecting any other of the terminals for external connection to the reference electrode, wherein the reference electrode is increased in number to plurality, and each of the reference electrodes is disposed on top of the semiconductor piece, and on opposite sides of the respective signal electrodes while short-circuiting means, such as a conductor layer, so forth, for short-circuiting the reference electrodes with each other. on top of the semiconductor piece are provided on the semiconductor piece.
With the semiconductor device according to the first problem-solving means, the reference electrodes short-circuited with each other, and the thin metal wire as well as the terminal for external connection that are connected thereto, are disposed on opposite sides of the signal electrode to which RF signals are transmitted, and the thin metal wire as well as the terminal for external connection that are connected thereto, so that a transmission path for RF signals can be disposed definitely away from a transmission path for other signals, and in addition, current paths for not only direct transmission current for RF signal
Prenty Mark V.
Rohm & Co., Ltd.
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