Hybrid Leadframe Design for High Pin Count Packages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leadframes for electronic devices face a challenge in balancing high electrical current or voltage requirements with the need for small dimensions, often limiting the number of outer terminals that can fit within a semiconductor package due to conflicting design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid leadframe design featuring two classes of leads, where the second class of leads are thinner and have a smaller pitch and width than the first class, allowing for a greater number of leads to be packed without increasing the package size, achieved by either forming a separate thinner leadframe part or reducing the thickness of integral leads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the leadframe dimensions are increased to handle high voltage or high electrical current, then the electrical performance is improved, but the package size increases and the number of leads that can fit into the semiconductor package decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating lead dimensions based on functional requirements. Different leads within the same leadframe have different thicknesses: thicker leads for high current paths and thinner leads for low current or signal paths. This allows the leadframe to handle high power requirements locally where needed while maintaining overall compact dimensions, resolving the contradiction between electrical performance and package size.
2Power
If the leadframe dimensions are increased to handle high voltage or high electrical current, then the electrical performance is improved, but the number of outer terminals that can fit into the semiconductor package decreases
Solution Approach 1:
By assigning different thicknesses to different leads based on their current carrying requirements, the patent enables a greater number of leads to be packed into the package. Thinner leads occupy less space, allowing increased lead count for additional functionality, while thicker leads maintain adequate current capacity for power-critical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of lead thickness to optimize both electrical performance and packaging density. By varying this parameter across different leads rather than using a uniform thickness, the system achieves higher current capacity where needed while maximizing the number of leads that can fit in the available space.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device and method is disclosed. In one example, the electronic device includes a semiconductor chip and a leadframe. The leadframe includes a first class of leads and a second class of leads. The leads of the second class of leads are thinner than leads of the first class of leads.