Abstract:
A device and method for molding integrated circuit packages including a semiconductor integrated circuit chip and a lead frame with a plurality of leads is disclosed. The device is formed of top and bottom mold dies having intermating teeth that provide a sealed mold cavity around the integrated circuit chip and the lead frame leads. The teeth of at least one of said mold dies are formed with inclined surfaces that assist in compensating for any misalignment between the lead frame and the dies.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to the production of integrated circuit packages and more specifically to an apparatus and a method for molding integrated circuit semiconductor devices using lead frames. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     For many years, integrated circuit (IC) devices were formed with a semiconductor IC chip that is bonded to a lead frame and then encapsulated with thermoset plastic material. These types of IC devices performed effectively but were relatively expensive to produce. 
     In recent times, a variety of various alternatives to the thermoset plastic encapsulation devices have been developed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,214,846; 5,637,273; 5,049,526; and 5,682,673. These patents describe various methods and means for producing a relatively inexpensive IC device in which the IC chip is encapsulated by a synthetic resin rather than thermoset plastic material. The encapsulation is used to protect the semiconductor chip from external impact to insure the internal circuitry thereof. 
     The resin encapsulation is performed by an injection molding process that can be carried out in a highly efficient and rapid molding process. However, because of the configuration of lead frames there are certain drawbacks to the use of injection molding in this fashion. The principal problem is that it is difficult to provide a molding cavity that is sufficiently sealed so as to prevent resin leakage or flash about the leads which causes a degradation in the appearance of the finished product as well as affecting its operability. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,273, discloses a means and method for molding integrated circuit packages through the use of a top or bottom mold die that includes projections that are sized so that their height is equal to the thickness of the lead frame leads. During the molding operation, the mold die projections are placed between the leads of the lead frame to assist in preventing leakage of resin during the molding operation. The patent further discloses the use of a tape that is placed on the leads of the lead frame to reduce the resin leaking pressure, which pressure causes the resin to leak out of the mold. Although the invention disclosed in the &#39;273 Patent appears to be an improvement over prior art devices in reducing resin leakage from a mold, due to alignment problems that would most likely occur between the lead frame and the frame projections of the mold die, it seems highly likely that high speed molding operation of IC devices would not be practicable with such invention. 
     The present invention provides an improved method and means for allowing the high speed molding of IC devices formed by a resin injected molding process. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an injection mold for manufacturing a semiconductor device with a lead frame having a plurality of side leads. The mold is formed of top mold die and a bottom mold die, both dies including a central depression and peripheral side edges having spaced apart teeth aligned transversely to the depressions to form a series of alternating channels and projections. The teeth on one of the dies are formed with sidewalls having an inner lead enclosure portion that is sized to be equal to the thickness of the lead frame leads and an outer portion that is inclined toward the other sidewall, which results in the spacing between two adjacent teeth being wider at the outer ends of the teeth than at their inner ends. The top and bottom dies are aligned so that the projections of one fit into the channels of the other, and as they are brought into an abutting relationship the lead frame leads are guided into the lead enclosure portions to form a sealed mold cavity that extends around each of the leads to allow tighter mold die fit and reduce part flash. 
     A particular object and advantage of the present invention is that the inclined sidewalls of the teeth of the lower molds provide a compensating alignment mechanism for directing the lead frame leads into the channels between the lower portions of the teeth in a manner that significantly reduces pinching damage to the leads during the molding process as well as insert wear. 
     The foregoing and other advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which there is shown by illustration, and not of limitation, a specific form in which the invention may be embodied. Such embodiment does not represent the full scope of the invention, but rather the invention may be employed in a variety of embodiments, and reference is made to the claims herein for interpreting the breadth of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of a lead frame interposed between a top mold die and a bottom mold die that form a preferred embodiment of the mold of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to that of FIG. 1 but shown at a different viewing angle; 
     FIG. 3 is yet another perspective view showing the top and bottom mold dies in a molding position with respect to the lead frame; 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the top and bottom mold dies of the preferred embodiment as they are brought together with the lead frame; and 
     FIG. 4 a  is a further enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view similar to that of FIG. 4 but with the mold dies positioned closer together; 
     FIG. 5 a  is a further enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 5; and 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view similar to that of FIGS. 4 and 5, but with the mold dies abutting against one another in a molding relationship. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention provides an improved injection mold as shown in FIG. 1 for manufacturing semiconductor integrated circuit devices in connection with a lead frame  1  that has a plurality of apertures  2  for receiving semiconductor chips  3  longitudinally spaced apart on the lead frame  1  at regular intervals. The improved mold of the present invention is formed of a top mold die  6  and a bottom mold die  7  that are specifically designed to encapsulate the chips  3  within a resin housing, as shown at  5  to protect the chips  3  from external impact that may cause damage to their internal circuits. As is well-known in the art, the lead frame  1  includes a plurality of leads  4  that project from the peripheral portion of the frame  1  and connect to electrodes of the chips  3 . The inner ends of the leads  4  and the chips  3  are encapsulated in the protective resin in a manner that substantially prevents any leaking or flash of resin from the mold dies  6  and  7 . Due to the specific configurations of the dies  6  and  7 , the encapsulation molding operation is able to be conducted in a rapid and efficient manner that provides for the proper alignment of the lead frame  1  within the mold during the molding process. 
     To provide the high speed efficient molding process of the present invention, the mold dies  6  and  7  are formed respectively with opposed teeth  8  and  9 . As best shown in FIG. 1, the bottom mold die  7  includes a central depression  12  that serves as one-half of a mold cavity  13 , shown only in FIG.  6 . The teeth  9  lie on the peripheral edges of the depression  12  and are aligned transversely to such depression to form a series of alternating channels and projections. For a purpose to be described below, the teeth  9  are formed with inclined sidewalls  14  and a flat top surface  15  so that the channels between the teeth  9  are wider at their outer portions than at their inner portions. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, the mold die  6  also includes a central depression  18  that serves with the depression  12  shown in FIG. 1 to form the mold cavity  13  when the dies  6  and  7  are positioned together during a molding operation as indicated by FIG.  3 . The mold teeth  8  of the die  6 , similar to the teeth  9 , are located on either side of the depression  18  and are spaced apart and aligned transversely to such depression to form a series of alternating channels and projections, with the dies  6  and  7  being positioned with respect to one another so that the projections of one intermate with the channels of the other. The configuration of the teeth  8  on the mold die  6  are somewhat different than that of the teeth  9  as each tooth  8  includes a sidewall  19  formed of a narrow inner strip  20  that is oriented perpendicularly to the lead frame  1  to form a lead enclosure portion  21  having a depth equal to the thickness of the leads  4  and a width equal to that of such leads, and an inclined outer portion  22 . Similar to the channels between the teeth  9 , the inclined portions  22  of each tooth  8  are inclined toward one another so that the channels formed between two adjacent teeth  8  are wider at their outer portions than their inner portions. The incline pitch of the sidewalls portions  22  preferably corresponds to that of the sidewalls  14  of the teeth  9 . 
     The reason for the use of the inclined sidewalls  14  and  19  respectively of the teeth  9  and  8  is illustrated best by reference to FIGS. 4 and 4 a.  During the molding operation, it is difficult to provide for a precise alignment of the teeth  8  and  9  with the spaces  2  and leads  4  of the lead frame  1 . Thus, as indicated by FIG. 4, at the beginning of the molding process, the leads  4  may be somewhat out of alignment with the teeth  8  and  9 . However, as indicated by the sequence shown in FIGS. 4-6, due to the inclined sidewalls  14  and  19  of the teeth  9  and  8 , as the mold dies  6  and  7  are brought together, the leads  4  are guided into position into the lead enclosure portions  21  as will now be described. 
     Referring first to FIGS. 4 and 4 a,  these drawings illustrate how the mold dies  6  and  7  coact to compensate for misalignment of the lead frame  1  therewith. As indicated by FIGS. 4 and 4 a,  the enlarged openings into the channels between the die teeth  8  insure that the lead frame  1  does not have to be precisely in alignment with the dies  6  and  7  and, as further indicated by FIGS. 5 and 5 a,  the inclined sidewalls  14  and  19  assist in correcting the misalignment between the lead frame  1  and the mold dies  6  and  7  when they are moved toward one another. Consequently, as indicated by FIGS. 6 and 6 a,  the leads  4  are moved into the lead enclosure portions  21  between the inner portions of the sidewalls  19 , which guiding movement of the leads  4  is accomplished without pinching or other damage to such leads. Thus, with the leads  4  properly positioned within the enclosure portions  21  between the mold dies  6  and  7  and the inclined sidewalls  14  and  19  abutting against one another, the mold die teeth  8  and  9  act to tightly seal the mold cavity  13  with respect to the leads  4  so that as resin is injected into the cavity  13 , essentially no leakage of resin or flash occurs during the encapsulation molding process for the IC chip  3 . 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited, since changes and modifications can be made therein, which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.