Patent ID: 7148078

Claim:
A method of forming an integrated circuit package having a sensor with imaging capability comprising: connecting components to a single-piece substrate, including fixing an integrated circuit die to a first area of said single-piece substrate and fixing a light source to a second area of said single-piece substrate, said integrated circuit die having said sensor, said single-piece substrate being a lead frame, said fixing of said integrated circuit die including using die attach techniques; and enclosing said components to define said integrated circuit package having exposed input/output connections and having a window optically aligned with said sensor; wherein said first and second areas of said single-piece substrate are at an angle to each other within said integrated circuit package, such that an axis of light from said light source is non-parallel to an imaging axis of said sensor and such that said light source illuminates a field of view of said sensor, said connecting said components including attaching said integrated circuit die and said light source to said lead frame while said lead frame is substantially flat, said enclosing including bending said lead frame to establish said angle of said first area to said second area; and wherein said method further comprises forming an electrically insulative material on opposite sides of said lead frame prior to connecting said components, thereby defining a package form, said package form being patterned to include a locking mechanism, said bending of said lead frame including utilizing said locking mechanism to fix said lead frame in a position to establish said angle.