METHOD OF MAKING PACKAGED IC CHIP

Abstract: In the manufacture of a packaged IC chip, a lead frame segment (1) has a plurality of leads (4), the ends of which are connected to opposing rails (7, 3). After the leads are secured to a lead frame support, the rails are removed and an IC chip is then connected. The chip and lead frame are then encapsulated between the support and a cover.

Description: METHOD OF MAXING PACKAGED IC CHIP This invention concerns lead frames for use with integrated circuit chips. The manufacture of such lead frames is disclosed in, for example, the following U.S. patents: 4,204,317; 4,137,546; 3,750,277; 3,537,175; 3,469,953. After an IC chip has been mounted on a lead frame chip carrier, and electrically connected to the leads thereof, it is often packaged in ¯ encapsulating material. Such packaged chip-containing lead frames are shown in, . for example, the following U.S. patents: 4,331,831; 4,301,464; 4,298,883; 4,264,917; 4,214,364; 4,132,856; 4,124,864; 4,079,511; 3,978,516; 3,793,474; 3,684,46z; 3,659,821; 3,611,961; 3,436,810. As pointed out in the above patents, the lead frames are usually made by stamping or etching metal strips. Where the manufactured quantities are sufficiently great, stamping is preferred because of its lower cost. As the circuits on the chips become more complex, a greater number of leads per lead frame is re¯uirea. This complicates the stamping operation. Stamping is carried out in progressive dies; that is, a metal strip is fed through a stamping press having successive punch and die sets at a number of stations, where successive stamping operations are carried out. For example, a lead frame having 68 leads would require about 15 to 20 stamping stations and about 140 to 150 cuts. As the number of requ :d stamping stations an4 ts increases, 'the difficulty in maintaining adequate quality of the stamped lead frames also increases. This invention can reduce the number of required stamping stations and cuts per lead frame. This is accom plished by not making an entire lead frame out of one integral metal strip, as was done in the prior art. Instead, the lead frame is fabricated from a plurality of individual segments which can be fabricated from the same set of stamping tools. Thus, if two segments are used per lead frame, the number of stamping stations can be about halved and the number of cuts can be reduced even more. And if four segments are used per lead frame, the number of stamping stations and cuts can be reduced an even greater extent. The lead frame is manufactured by assembling the segments with precise position ing, and then securing the segments in a suitable support to maintain said precise positions. An IC chip can then be dis posed thereon and electrically connected to the leads. This invention is particularly concerned with the manuf ac- ture of a packaged IC chip where the leads of each lead frame segment are connected at their ends to opposing rails until the leads are co-planarly secured to the support, after which the rails are removed. In the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a lead frame segment after stamping and Fig. 2 shows a strip of such lead frame segments. Fig. 3 is a plan end view of a support for 2 leaa frame. Fig. 4 shows the support with three lead frame segments attached and the fourth ready for attachment. Fig. 5 shows the support with all lead frame segments attached and the leads formed. Figs. 6 and 7 are plan and end views of a cover for the support. Fig. 8 shows the finished chip-contclning lead frame package. In one embodiment, substantially ic#e::tical lead frame segments 1 were #tarr#ped from a lonc metal strip, as snown In fit 2. One such segment 1 js shown in Fig. 1. In one example, segments 1 were stamped from 10 mil copper alloy, specifically, Olin CDP.lid, and were maintained in strip form by means of continuous rails 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 2. Between segments 1, there were support bars 35 extending from rail 3 to rail 2. Each segment 1 comprised seventeen leads 4. The inner ends 5 of leads 4, which would eventually be electrically connected to an IC chip, were 9 mils wide and spaced 9 mils apart. The widest parts 6 of leads 4 were inward from the outer ends 7 thereof and were 28 mils wide spaced 22 mils apart. Outer ends 7 were 18 mils wide spaced 32 mils apart. There were score lines 8 and 9 on leads 4 about 5 mils from rails 2 and 3. Rails 2 and 3 would eventually be broken off at score lines 8 and 9. There were 62 mil diameter holes 10 in rail 3, which provided means for precise positioning of the lead frame segments during indexing of the copper strip during processing. Rails 2 and 3 were 63 and 100 mils wide, respectively. The distance between sco#re lines 8 and 9 was 480 rails. Support 11 for this exaratle, shown in Fig. 3, was made of c high ternperature thermoplastic material, specifically, 2 polyetheriraide resin made by General Electric Co., Pittsfield, Mass., under the trade name Ultem. In the center of support 11 was a recess 12 in which an IC chip would eventually be disposed. Recess 12 was 340 mils scuare and was recessed 8 mils below surface 13 of support 11. Surrounding recess 12 were seventy-two raised projections 14, eighteen per side. Projections 14 were 7 mils wide by 25 mils long by 9 mils high. Spaces 15 between the projections were 11 rails wide. At assembly of segments 1 to support 11, narrow ends 5 of leads 4 would lie on surface 13 in spaces 15 between projections 14. This provides means for accurate co-planar positioning of ends 5 in support 11. On the inner eno of each projection 14 was another raised portion 16, measuring 7 mils wide by 10 mils #ong by 6 mils high. Raised portions 16 provided rnewne t6r' securing the leads in spaces 15 by, for example heating and slightly flowing plastic portions 16 over the leads. There was an encircling trough 17 outside the perimeter formed by all the projections 14. At the periphery of support 11 there were sixty-eight slots 18 in which parts 6 of leads 4 would fit. Slots 18 were formed by projections 29 which were similar to projections 14 but bigger. Projections 29 were 20 rails wide by 32 mils long by 9 mils high. Slots 18 were 30 mils wide. There were raised portions 30 on the inner ends of projections 29, similar to raised portions 16 on projections 14. Raised portions 30 were 20 rails wide by 10 mils l-ong by 6 mils hich. In order to permit supports 11 to be processed in existing manufacturing equipment for chip-carrying lez frames, there were rails 19, compatible with said eau#pment, spaced from ecch side of support 11 and' connected thereto by tie bars 20. Rails 19 were 10 mils thick by 135 mils wide arrd were 1.400 inches apart from each other. Boles 21 provided means for accurate positioning of the supports during indexing. There were for posts 22 on support 11 for accurate pirating of support 11 with cover 23, which was made of the same plastic as support 11. Cover 23 bad a recess 24 to mate with recess 12, anc had an additional recess 25 to accommodate projections 14. Cover 23 also had a trouch 26 to mate with trough 17, and four holes 27 into which posts 22 fit. There were also two holes 28 connecting with trough 26. After assembly of cover 23 onto support 11, a sealant material could be injected into holes 28 to fill troughs 17 and 26 in order to seal the IC chip from the environment. Assembly of the components would pruced.e follows. Four lead frame segments 1, with rails 2 and 3 still attached, would be placed on top of support 11, one at a time and one in each quadrant, as shown in Fig. 5. Each segment 1, with rails 2 and 3 still attached thereto but with rail 2 having been trimmed sufficiently to fit the space, as shown in Fig. 4, would be carefully positioned so that ends 5 lay in spaces 15 and parts 6 lay in slots 18. Pressure would then be applied to segment 1 to ensure that it was flush against surface 13 and then, maintaining the pressure, heat would be applied to portions 16 and 30 to cause them to flow over, and secure in place, ends 5 and parts 6 of leads 4. Rails 2 and 3 would then be broken off at score lines 8 and 9. This process would be repeated for each lead frame segment 1. This construction ensures accurate positioning, with secure attachment, of all sixty-eEght leads with excellent co-planarity thereof. Next, an IC chip 31, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, would be conventionally attached in the pad area, recess 12, and would be conventionally electrically connected to ends 5 of leads 4. The rail construction of support 11 permits this processing to be performed on existing chip-carrier lead frame processing equipment. An advantage of this invention is that the IC chip and peckae can now be tested for electrical characteristics, because all sixty-eight leads are now electrically isolated, and repair of electrical connections can be made, if necessary. In the past, such repair could not be made because the leads were not electrically isolated until after packaging. The external ends of leads 4 can now be formed into a desired shape, such as "J" lead shape 34 shown in Figs. 5 and 8. Next, cover 23 is placed on support 11, posts 22 fitting into holes 27. Holes 27 are counterbored about half-way through as shown in Fig. 7, for example, to 4,3 rils diameter from 33 mils diameter. Posts 27 extend somewhat in the counterbores of holes 27, thereby providing the means for securing cover 23 to support 11 by heat-flowing the extending upper ends of posts 27, as raised portions 16 and 30 were heat-flowed. Next, a sealant, for example, a silicone gel, is pumped into holes 28 to completely fill troughs 17 and 28 as well as holes 28. The sealant should be sufficiently adherent and flexible, after curing, to maintain a hermetic seal through normal thermal cycling reguirements. If desired, assembly of cover 23 and sealing of trough 17 and 28 can be performed in an atmosphere having greater heat dissipation characteristics than air such as helium. This atmosphere will be sealed in the recesses in which chip 31 is disposed. To complete the package, a lead. identifier 32 may te used, as shown in Fig. 8, and rails 19 and tie bars 20 are removed at score lines 33. The finished unit, shown in Fig. 8, had overall measurements, including formed leads 34, of 988 mils square by 175 mils high. This invention is also applicable to lead frames made other than by stamping, such as etching or chemical forming. There, a significant advantage to the use of segments as per this invention is a substantial reduction in tooling cost.

Claims: We claim: 1. The method of making a packaged IC chip comprising the steps of: preparing a lead frame segment having a plurality of leads, each lead being connected at its ends to opposing rails, securing the lead frame segment to a lead frame support, the individual leads thereof being individually secured to the support; removing the rails; disposing an IC chip on the support and making electrical connections between the chip and the leads; and disposing a cover on the support, the chip and lead frame being encapsulated between the support and cover. 2. The method of Claim 1 wherein the plurality of lead frame segments are secured to said lead frame support, the segments being secured in sequence, the rails on each segment being removed after securement thereof but prior to securement of the next segment. 3. The method of Claim 1 wherein the lead frame segments are prepared from a longitudinal strip containing a plurality of segments, the segments and leads thereof being connected to opposing continuous rails, the space between leads being wider at one of the rails than at the other rail. The The method of Claim 1 wherein the leads are secured between raised projections on the support.

Inventors: GILDER, THOMAS G., JR., O'DEAN, RAYMOND D.
Applicants: GTE PRODUCTS CORPORATION
Application year: 1985
Main classification: H01L23
IPC codes: H01L21, H01L23