Patent ID: 8053869

Claim:
A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit device package, the method comprising: providing a wafer containing a matrix of integrated circuit device members, each one of said integrated circuit device members having a respective electrically active face and an opposing backside, and a saw street circumscribing each one of said integrated circuit members; mounting the wafer to an electrically non-conductive substrate so that the electrically active face is in contact with said substrate; subsequently forming a trough partially through said wafer from said backside of said wafer in alignment with said saw street, said trough having a first width; subsequently forming a channel beginning at a base of said trough and extending from said trough to a depth effective to pierce said electrically active face, said channel having a second width that is less than said first width, thereby singulating said integrated circuit device member and forming a side of said integrated circuit device member extending between the electrically active face and the backside thereof, said side including a step feature formed by intersection of a sidewall of said trough with the base of said trough, so that said backside surface area is less than said electrically active surface area; removing the singulated integrated circuit device member from the electrically non-conductive substrate; connecting the electrically active face to circuitry having electrical contacts extending therefrom to provide interconnection to an external conductor; and applying a dielectric molding resin to partially encapsulate the integrated circuit device member while leaving exposed said backside and said electrical contacts on opposing sides of the package, said molding resin contacting said step feature to provide a feature effective to limit ingress of moisture along an interface between said integrated circuit device and the dielectric molding resin and mechanically lock said integrated circuit device to said dielectric molding resin.