Abstract:
A semiconductor package for vertically surface mounting to a printed circuit board having a retention apparatus for holding the package thereto.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/117,294, filed Apr. 5, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,663, issued Nov. 18, 2003, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/910,318, filed Jul. 20, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,573, issued Jun. 4, 2002, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/400,126, filed Sep. 21, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,719, issued Oct. 16, 2001, which is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/052,446, filed Mar. 31, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,139, issued Jun. 6, 2000. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to a semiconductor package mounting technique and, more specifically, to high density vertical surface mount packages. More particularly still, the present invention relates to vertical surface mount devices having retention apparatus or devices for holding the package to a surface mount location. 
   2. State of the Art 
   Integrated circuit semiconductor devices are fabricated on wafers of silicon to generate semiconductor devices or chips. Each of these chips forms an integrated circuit semiconductor device that must be packaged in order to be utilized within a computer system. One type of package is to encapsulate the semiconductor device in a plastic package, in some instances, with the semiconductor device being bonded to a die paddle of a leadframe. The individual leads of the leadframe are then connected to bond pads on the active surface of the semiconductor device using wires with the units being encapsulated in a suitable plastic or similar material. This plastic encapsulated semiconductor device then undergoes a trim and form operation that separates the interconnected packages on leadframe strips into individual entities and then bends the exposed leads of the remaining leadframe extending from the package. This is the traditional and most recognized form of semiconductor device package and utilizes a highly automated manufacturing technology. 
   Several types of semiconductor device packages that have found favor include a package having dual in-line metal lead packages or DIP, which typically were through hole soldered onto a printed circuit board, and a pin grid array (PGA) package that includes a plurality of under-leads that are usually either through hole soldered to a substrate or inserted in a receiving unit. Additional types of semiconductor device packages include the ball grid array, which is soldered onto the surface of the printed circuit board. Additionally, a new type of dual in-line lead design has been provided and is known as the small outline J-Lead package (or “SOJ” package). The SOJ package has advantages over the standard DIP design for the following reasons. First, the leads of a SOJ package are soldered to only one side of the circuit board, thus leaving the other side of the board free for the mounting of additional SOJ packages. Second, the leads are much less vulnerable to damage prior to board assembly; hence, there are fewer rejections. The SOJ package has extended to include a zig-zag in-line package or ZIP and provides advantages of allowing the package to be mounted vertically. Vertical packages have a narrower horizontal cross section than the horizontally attached DIP or SOJ or PGA packages. Vertical packages allow the distance between other vertical packages to be quite minimal to the horizontal packages. 
   In ZIP packages or in vertical packages, all leads exit through the lower edge of the package. Since the vertical packages with a single edge being attached to the printed circuit board must be held in place before a solder reflow operation is performed, they have a limited appeal because of the difficulty in maintaining the vertical packages in such vertical position. 
   Solutions have been provided to allow for the positioning of ZIP vertical packaging without the need for additional package support structures until the final attachment of the package to the circuit board during a solder reflow operation. 
   One such example is described in U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 34,794 (“the &#39;794 reissue patent”), reissued Nov. 22, 1994. The &#39;794 reissue patent describes a semiconductor package having a gull-wing zig-zag, in-line lead configuration and package anchoring devices. The anchoring devices allow the semiconductor package to be rigidly fixed to a circuit board such that each lead resiliently contacts its associated mounting pad on the board. The particular anchoring device includes anchoring pins having fish-hook type bars that lock against the other side of the board when the pegs are inserted through the holes. Further, the anchoring pins can be adhesively bonded in recesses as provided in a circuit board. This type of arrangement has several disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that the printed circuit board or circuit board must include holes for receiving the anchoring devices. These holes may crack and cause the circuit board to split along such a fracture, thus ruining the board. Additionally, since the anchoring devices are inflexible, they too may fracture and break and thus release the semiconductor package that is in a bias tension against the circuit board because of the anchoring devices. Furthermore, the anchoring devices must extend out from either side of the semiconductor devices, which anchoring devices may require additional spacing, thus limiting the number of packages that can be vertically mounted on the circuit board. 
   Accordingly, an improved type of vertical package of the ZIP where the anchoring apparatus overcomes the problems inherent in the prior solution of the anchoring devices inserted into the circuit board is needed. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to semiconductor package mounting techniques for high density vertical surface mount packages having retention apparatus for holding the package to a surface mount location. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front plan view of a first embodiment of a gull-wing vertical surface mount package according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front plan view of a second embodiment of a gull-wing ZIP vertical surface mount package according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional front plan view of the gull-wing ZIP package of  FIG. 1  as mounted to a circuit board; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional side view of the gull-wing ZIP package of  FIG. 2  in a plurality mounted configuration; and 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the present invention connected to a computer. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Drawing  FIG. 1  depicts a first embodiment of a vertical surface mount package (VSMP) having a locking device for holding the VSMP in place on a circuit board by pressure. Package  10 , having a suitable integrated circuit device or semiconductor device therein which may include memory for a computer, includes a plurality of gull-wing, zig-zag, in-line package leads  12 , mounted to a bottom surface edge of package  10 . A pair of locking shoulders  14  of the package  10  each receive a locking pin that attaches to a circuit board or substrate. Drawing  FIG. 2  depicts an alternative embodiment of package  10  still having the plurality of gull-wing, zig-zag, in-line package leads  12 . Instead of having locking shoulders  14 , locking openings  16  are provided into which J-shaped locking pins insert and hold package  10  in bias tension against a circuit board. In either embodiment, the gull-wing, zig-zag, in-line package leads  12  can extend the full length of the bottom of the package  10  to the very edge of package  10 . This allows a greater density of contacts to be provided than would otherwise be possible in the prior art systems of the anchoring pins as taught in U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 34,794, entitled Gull-Wing, Zig-Zag, Inline-lead Package Having End-of-Package Anchoring Pins, incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
   Drawing  FIG. 3  depicts in cross-sectional view a package connection assembly  18  where package  10  is mounted to a printed circuit board  22 , or any other suitable substrate, using J-hooks (also called J-shaped locking pins)  20 . The package  10  includes one or more integrated circuit devices or semiconductor devices (shown in dotted outline) therein which may include memory type semiconductor devices or combination processor and memory type devices. The J-hooks  20  latch onto locking shoulders  14  of package  10 . Printed circuit board  22  can be any type of printed circuit board including a personal computer motherboard or a daughter card, or any other carrier card mounted to a motherboard. 
   J-shaped locking pins  20  are mounted to printed circuit board  22  either by being soldered in place or resiliently press fitted into printed circuit board  22 . J-shaped locking pins  20  are also designed to resiliently flex when inserting and locking in place semiconductor device package  10  or when removing package  10 . The gull-wing package leads  12  are resiliently biased against matching bonding pads on printed circuit board  22  when the package  10  is secured in place with J-shaped locking pins  20  resiliently engaging locking shoulders  14 . 
   Package  10 , as shown in drawing  FIG. 3 , allows the gull-wing package leads  12  to extend the full length of the bottom of package  10 . This allows for a greater density of leads to be biased in connection to printed circuit board  22 . Further, since J-shaped locking pins  20  mount into printed circuit board  22 , rather than package  10  having anchoring pins inserted into openings in printed circuit board  22 , the tension or force acting on printed circuit board  22  is greatly reduced because either a much stronger mechanical connection is provided via the soldering of J-shaped locking pins  20  into printed circuit board  22  or J-shaped locking pins  20  are resiliently biased much more readily than any anchoring pins that would have been attached to package  10  as previously described in the prior art section. With the pins readily replaceable, should one break, the package  10  itself is not damaged but an inexpensive and easily replaceable anchoring device is thereby provided. 
   Drawing  FIG. 4  illustrates a cross-sectional side view of a plurality of packages  10  mounted to printed circuit board  22 . In the embodiment of drawing  FIG. 4 , the manner of locking is the same as that depicted in drawing FIG.  2 . In this instance, a locking pin  26  is fitted within printed circuit board  22  having a resilient biasing portion  30 , which fits and is received within locking opening  16 , and is retained in a biased position within locking opening  16  by N-hooks  32 . For removing J-shaped locking pin  26  from locking opening  16 , the end of the N-hook  32  of resilient biasing portion  30  is urged together sufficiently so that it may be removed through locking opening  16 . Once in position, the gull-wing package leads  12  are resiliently biased against lead contacting board traces  28 . 
   J-shaped locking pins  26  can be soldered in printed circuit board  22  or resiliently press fitted in printed circuit board  22 . Further, J-shaped locking pins  26  are able to resiliently flex when loading or removing package  10 . 
   Integrated circuit package  10  can be any type of circuit device contemplated for use within a computer system. For example, package  10  can be used to clear the memory devices of a computer system or be used to implement a memory storage device of a computer system. Other types of implementation may incorporate a processing unit that either provides the main functions of operation within a computer system or any preferable implantation processing capabilities such as for a video card or any other preferable device. An example of the manner in which the semiconductor device package  10  may be integrated into a computer system is illustrated in drawing FIG.  5 . 
   Referring to drawing  FIG. 5 , illustrated in block diagram form is a computer system  36  integrated with the semiconductor device package  10  mounted to a printed circuit board  22 . Printed circuit board  22  further includes a central processing unit  38 , connected to a bus  40 , which further communicates through output data device  42  and input data device keyboard  44 . Additional preferable structures for a computer system  36  would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. 
   Additional embodiments are possible with the concepts outlined in either drawing  FIG. 1  or drawing  FIG. 2  as well as in drawing  FIGS. 3 and 4 . One example would be to mount semiconductor device packages  10  on either side of the printed circuit board  22  in such a fashion to double the amount of surface mount vertical packages connected to the printed circuit board  22 . 
   Other embodiments will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. As such, any such changes or modifications that are apparent to those skilled in the art may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed.