Patent ID: 8093707

Claim:
An integrated circuit package comprising: a lead frame including a die attach pad, a plurality of leads that are physically and electrically isolated from the die attach pad, and a first tie bar integrally formed with the die attach pad and mechanically and electrically coupled to the die attach pad, the first tie bar including a first bonding region, wherein the die attach pad is downset relative to the leads and has a die mounting surface that is downset relative to the first bonding region; the tie bar has a first appendage that directly attaches to the die attach pad and includes a downset portion that transitions between the level of the die attach pad and the level of the leads; at least one finger portion that is spaced apart from the first appendage and extends inwardly toward the die; the first bonding region is on the finger portion; a die mounted on the die mounting surface of the die attach pad, the die having a multiplicity of I/O pads; a first set of bonding wires, wherein each bonding wire in the first set of bonding wires has a first end attached to an associated I/O pad and a second end attached to an associated lead to thereby electrically couple the associated I/O pad to the associated lead; and a second set of bonding wires, there being at least one bonding wire in the second set of bonding wires, each bonding wire in the second set of bonding wires having a first end attached to an associated I/O pad on the die and a second end attached to the first bonding region on the first tie bar, whereby the attachment point of each bonding wire in the second set of bonding wires to the first bonding region is offset relative to a plane that encompasses the die mounting surface; and wherein the die attach pad and each of the leads serve as electrical contacts for the package and the tie bar is not electrically coupled to any leads that serve as an electrical contact for the package, and wherein the package is a dual in-line package having two rows of leads on opposing sides of the package and no leads on opposing ends of the package that extend substantially perpendicularly relative to the opposing sides of the package, and wherein the first tie bar extends towards an end of the package that has no leads such that no portion of the tie bar including the first bonding regions extends between the die attach pad and any of the leads.