Patent ID: 7757392

Claim:
A method comprising: providing at least one vertical semiconductor power device comprising a first side and a second side opposing the first side, wherein the first side comprises at least one first load electrode and the second side comprises at least one second load electrode, the vertical semiconductor power device having a height between the outermost surfaces of the first load electrode and the second load electrode of a, wherein a layer of diffusion solder is positioned on the first load electrode and comprises a thickness b; providing a contact clip comprising a flat web portion having a lower surface, the flat web portion extending into a peripheral rim portion having a foot having a lower foot surface, wherein a height c is provided between the lower surface of the flat web portion and the lower foot surface; providing a substrate comprising at least one die support region and at least one substrate contact surface, the upper surface of the die support regions and of the contact surfaces being generally coplanar; attaching the first load electrode of the semiconductor power device to a first die support region by a diffusion solder process to produce a diffusion solder bond comprising a plurality of intermetallic phases; providing an electrically conductive height equalization layer comprising a thickness d on the second load electrode, wherein (a+b+d)>c; after the diffusion solder process is completed, attaching the lower surface of the flat web portion to the second load electrode and with the electrically conductive height equalization layer and the lower foot surface to the substrate contact surface; and pressing the contact clip and adjusting the thickness of the height equalization layer to d′, wherein d′<d, so that c is approximately equal to (a+b+d′).