Surface mount package

Abstract

Space-efficient packaging of microelectronic devices permits greater functionality per unit PC board surface area. In certain embodiments, packages having leads of a reverse gull wing shape reduce peripheral footprint area occupied by the leads, thereby permitting maximum space in the package footprint to be allocated to the package body and to the enclosed die. Embodiments of packages in accordance with the present invention may also reduce the package vertical profile by featuring recesses for receiving lead feet ends, thereby reducing clearance between the package bottom and the PC board. Providing a linear lead foot underlying the package and slightly inclined relative to the PC board further reduces vertical package profile by eliminating additional clearance associated with radiuses of curvature of J-shaped leads.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The instant non-provisional patent application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No. 60 / 291,212, filed May 15, 2001 and entitled “Improved Surface Mount Package”. This provisional patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the invention provides an improved package, packaging system and method for packaging of electronic devices. Merely by way of example, the present invention can be used for producing “small footprint sized packages” for integrated circuit devices and discrete devices often used for a variety of digital, analog, small signal discrete, and power applications, such as electronically controlled switches for power on / off control of system and sub-system components, and switching components in DC / DC conversion, especially in mobile and battery powered applications such as cel...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0035] In certain embodiments, packages having leads of a reverse gull wing shape or a curved J-lead shape allocate increased space in the package footprint to the packaged die. Use of such a reverse gull wing shaped or J shaped lead also serves to maximize the portion of the package body width (i.e. laterally parallel to the PC board) in order to expand the lead frame size and accommodate a larger possible die size (herein referred to as a wide-body package). The present invention applies to small footprint packages that are often and generally less than 7 mm in dimension, and should not be confused with very large and very high pin count packages often used with memory chips for computers, microprocessing integrated circuits, and the like. More generally, no specific package size per se determines the maximum size package in accordance with the present invention, as the methods employed herein can be applied to larger die. However, the benefits in efficiency of spacing taper off in packages larger than 7 mm.

[0062] Another embodiment of the present invention includes a semiconductor package with J-shaped or reverse-gull-wing shaped leads containing a lead frame with one or two die pads where only one pin is directly connected to either die pad. In such an instance, the pin tied to the die pad improves the thermal resistance of the package (compared to having no pins tied to the die pad), but it does not provide for a larger are die pad or die.

Problems solved by technology

Such packages are often very small as compared to more conventional integrated circuit device packages (e.g., BGAs, PLCC, QFP, PGA) for conventional large DSPs (digital signal processors), ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), memory devices (e.g., Flash, DRAM, ROM) for computers, microprocessors (e.g., Intel™ Pentium), and the like, which often use very high pin counts and extremely large die sizes.

Although there has been much development with package designs for conventional devices, to date there has been little focus on improving the design of packages for the smaller, low pin count and low integration devices, especially for power applications.

Many conventional small footprint packages still lack efficiency and performance.

For example, conventional packages have not been configured to provide enhanced performance per unit area of PC board occupied.

This poor area efficiency limits the functionality or performance of the semiconductor component in its application, especially when the available board space is determined by the maximum allowable size and three-dimensional form-factor of the end product, such as a cell phone.

In this context, poor performance may constitute a lack of desirable features in the semiconductor (features not possible because of a limited amount of available silicon real estate), or as a higher resistance device, transistor, power MOSFET or other switching element leading to increased power losses, self heating, and further increases in resistance as a result of self heating.

These increased power losses can be viewed as both a potential thermal problem, and as a loss in efficiency and battery life.

Furthermore, such small, low-pin count packages typically lack sufficient ability to remove heat from the semiconductor die and to conduct that heat out of the package into the PC board and into the ambient.

The high thermal resistance characteristic of a package's inability to remove heat limits the utility of these conventional type small packages in applications (and in products) where the semiconductor die is forced to dissipate substantial power, even if but for a few seconds.

In high power dissipation conditions, unless the power dissipation is limited, the semiconductor die may malfunction, or be damaged, and may also damage its own package and even other components in its vicinity on the PC board.

As a further limitation of such conventional packages, methods used to increase the number of potential pins on any given package, may in fact reduce the maximum die size that can fit into the package, and in so doing lead to even higher power losses and lower efficiencies.

It can also be shown, that adjusting the lead frame design in a conventional package to maximize the die size, may in fact lead to an inadequate number of pins to connect the IC or die, and may also result in the position of such pins and bond pads such that it becomes difficult or impossible to facilitate proper or optimal wire bonding.

Likewise, it can be shown that adjusting the number of pins for optimum bonding may result in a smaller die and poorer silicon performance, for example increasing the resistance in a power transistor, and in other cases, may result in a higher thermal resistance in a package with no convenient means to conduct heat out of the silicon and into the printed circuit board (PCB).

This tradeoff may force an undesirable compromise between the number of pins and the thermal resistance and power handling capability of the package.

Any or all of these factors make it difficult to achieve optimal performance for many IC and discrete devices, especially those involved in power applications or carrying high current.

The conventional package occupies less than 10% of the entire package footprint on the PC board, which is undesirable for today's high performance applications.

The conventional package is also not configured in a manner to efficiently draw away thermal energy that may dissipate or build up in certain types of power integrated circuits and in discrete power devices.

Accordingly, conventional six lead packages have many limitations.

Accordingly a single lead, such as 128, connected directly to the die pad, while improving thermal resistance, results in less improvement than expected and depends heavily on the PC board layout.

Although a larger pin (or multiple pins) carrying heat would be less sensitive to the influence of the board layout on the resulting thermal resistance, such design features are not available or anticipated by conventional packages.

Another drawback with this configuration of a six-lead package is it still lacks an ability to efficiently use package space.

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