Semiconductor Clip Structure With Post-Mold Joint Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor packages face issues of excess cost, decreased reliability, and large package sizes, leading to inadequate performance.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a substrate with terminals, a semiconductor component with component terminals, and a clip structure with clips connected by a clip joint, encapsulated by an encapsulant, where the clip joint is removed post-encapsulation to ensure independent electrical pathways for different current types, enhancing stability and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a clip structure with clips connected by a clip joint is used to connect substrate terminals and component terminals, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential electrical interference and component shifting
Solution Approach 1:
The clip structure is divided into separate clips, each connecting to different terminals. The clip joint that physically connects the clips is removed after encapsulation, segmenting the electrical pathways while maintaining the mechanical support structure. This segmentation ensures independent electrical pathways for different current types (e.g., source-drain and gate currents), preventing electrical interference while preserving manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip joint is extracted from the final package structure. It is temporarily present during manufacturing to facilitate assembly but is removed after encapsulation. This extraction eliminates the potential harmful effects of the clip joint (electrical interference, component shifting) while retaining its useful function during the manufacturing process.
2Reliability
If the clip structure is fully encapsulated to protect components, then the reliability is improved by preventing component shifting, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in removing the clip joint
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation is performed before removing the clip joint. This preliminary encapsulation action protects the components during the subsequent clip joint removal process. The encapsulant provides a protective environment that prevents component shifting even as the clip joint is being removed, thereby maintaining both reliability and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional sequence is inverted: instead of removing the clip joint before encapsulation, the encapsulation is performed first, followed by clip joint removal. This inversion allows the encapsulant to provide protection during the removal process, making precision removal easier and more reliable.
3Reliability
If independent electrical pathways are ensured by removing the clip joint, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical pathways are segmented into independent circuits by removing the clip joint. Each clip connects to different terminals (e.g., one clip to source terminal, another to gate terminal), creating separate electrical pathways. This segmentation ensures that currents of different types do not interfere with each other, improving reliability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip joint is extracted from the electrical circuit while remaining as part of the mechanical support structure. This selective extraction creates independent electrical pathways without adding significant complexity to the mechanical assembly. The removed clip joint eliminates unwanted electrical connections while the remaining clips maintain necessary electrical connections.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes providing a substrate having substrate terminals and providing a first component having a first terminal and a second terminal. The method includes providing a clip structure having a first clip, a second clip, and a clip connector coupling the first clip to the second clip. The method includes coupling the first clip to the first terminal and a substrate terminal and coupling the second clip to another substrate terminal. The method includes encapsulating the structure and removing a portion of the clip connector. In some examples, the first portion of the clip connector includes a first portion surface, the second portion of the clip connector includes a second portion surface, and the first portion surface and the second portion surface are exposed from a top side of the encapsulant. Other examples and related structures are also disclosed herein.