Texas Instruments Corporation

Abb Power Electronics Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

Abb Schweiz Ag

Alok Kumar Lohia

Andy Quang Tran

Reynaldo Corpuz Javier

Thang Danh Truong

John Andrew Trelford

Richard John Yeager

Scott Robert Summerfelt

Wei-Yan Shih

Terry Lee Sculley

Steve Kummerl

Seung Bae Lee

Mark Stephen Toth

Sri Muthuthamby Sri-Jayantha

Vijayeshwar Das Khanna

Gerard McVicker

Matthew David Romig

Brian Ashley Carpenter

Arturo Silva

Christopher John Sanzo

Robert James Catalano

William Todd Harrison

Robert Joseph Roessler

An IC assembly including an exposed pad integrated circuit ('IC') package having a thermal pad with a top surface and a bottom surface and with at least one peripheral surface portion extending transversely of and continuous with the bottom surface. The bottom surface and the at least one peripheral surface are exposed through a layer of mold compound. Also, methods of making an exposed pad integrated circuit ('IC') package assembly. One method includes optically inspecting a solder bond bonding a thermal pad of an exposed pad IC package to a printed circuit board. Another method includes wave soldering an exposed pad of an IC package to a printed circuit board.

Exposed pad integrated circuit package

A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly is provided. The PCB assembly comprises a printed wiring board (PWB) and one or more electrical components mounted thereon. The PWB comprises a plurality of layers including conductive layers and insulative layers, where one or more of the insulative layers is a prepreg layer that is halogen-free; one or more slotted portions on a surface of the PWB, which are indented into the PWB; and one or more pads disposed on the surface of the PWB, which are paired with the one or more slotted portions. Each of the one or more electrical components is mounted on the surface of the PWB through a pair of a slotted portion and a pad.

Printed circuit board layout

Interposer printed circuit boards for power modules and associated methods are disclosed. In at least one illustrative embodiment, a printed circuit board assembly may comprise a printed circuit board, an electrical component mounted on a surface of the printed circuit board, and an interposer printed circuit board mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board. The interposer printed circuit board may comprise a first signal path to transmit a first electrical signal and a second signal path to transmit a second electrical signal that is different from the first electrical signal. The interposer printed circuit board may be configured to provide a standoff to prevent the electrical component from contacting a motherboard when the printed circuit board assembly is mounted to the motherboard.

Interposer printed circuit boards for power modules

An integrated force sensing element includes a piezoelectric sensor formed in an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a strain gauge at least partially overlying the piezoelectric sensor, where the piezoelectric sensor is able to flex. A human-machine interface using the integrated force sensing element is also disclosed and may include a conditioning circuit, temperature gauge, FRAM and a processor core.

Piezoelectric sensor apparatus

Interposer printed circuit boards for power modules and associated methods are disclosed. In at least one illustrative embodiment, a printed circuit board assembly may comprise a printed circuit board having a surface, an electrical component mounted on the surface, a pin mounted on the surface, and an interposer printed circuit board mounted on the surface. The electrical component may have a first height orthogonal to the surface. The pin may have a second height orthogonal to the surface, where the second height is greater than the first height. The interposer printed circuit board may comprise a pad and an outer solder bump positioned on the pad. The outer solder bump may be positioned at a third height orthogonal to the surface, where the third height is greater than the first height.

Interposer printed circuit boards for power modules and associated methods are disclosed. In at least one illustrative embodiment, a printed circuit board assembly may comprise a printed circuit board having a surface, an electrical component mounted on the surface, a pin mounted on the surface, and an interposer printed circuit board mounted on the surface. The electrical component may have a first height orthogonal to the surface. The pin may have a second height orthogonal to the surface, where the second height is greater than the first height. The interposer printed circuit board may comprise a pad and an outer solder bump positioned on the pad. The outer solder bump may have a third height orthogonal to the surface, where the third height is greater than the first height.

A lead frame sheet of flat no-lead lead frames having a semiconductor die on a die pad, terminals, and plastic encapsulation except on a back side of the sheet to provide an exposed thermal die pad, exposed side walls, and exposed back sides of the terminals. A solder wetable metal or metal alloy plating layer is on the back side and on the exposed the walls of the terminals. The exposed thermal pad and the back side of the terminals each include a contact region which lacks the plating layer.

Flat no-lead packages with electroplated edges

An integrated force sensing element includes a piezoelectric sensor formed in an integrated circuit (IC) chip and a strain gauge at least partially overlying the piezoelectric sensor, where the piezoelectric sensor is able to flex. A human-machine interface using the integrated force sensing element may include a conditioning circuit, temperature gauge, FRAM and a processor core.

Integrated force sensing element

A stacked die power converter package includes a lead frame including a die pad and a plurality of package pins, a first die including a first power transistor switch (first power transistor) attached to the die pad, and a first metal clip attached to one side of the first die. The first metal clip is coupled to at least one package pin. A second die including a second power transistor switch (second power transistor) is attached to another side on the first metal clip. A controller is provided by a controller die attached to a non-conductive layer on the second metal clip on one side of the second die.

Stacked die power converter

A semiconductor device comprising a stack of semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips have an electrically active side and an opposite electrically inactive side. The active sides bordered by an edge having first lengths and the inactive sides bordered by a parallel edge having a second lengths smaller than the first lengths. A substrate has an assembly pad bordered by a linear edge having a third length equal to or smaller than the first lengths. The inactive chip side attached to the pad so that the edge of the first lengths are parallel to the edge of the third length. The active side of the attached chip forms an overhang over the pad, when the third length is smaller than the first lengths.

Packaged semiconductor device having stacked attached chips overhanging the assembly pad

A method of assembling a semi-hermetic semiconductor package includes bonding a semiconductor die having bond pads to a top side of a base region of a package substrate having vertical side walls that are hollow which define an inner open volume (gap) having an adhesive or thermoplastic material therein. There are a plurality of metal terminals providing top terminal contacts on the top side of the base region and bottom terminal contacts on a bottom side or below the base region. The bond pads are coupled to the top terminal contacts. A lid is placed which provides a top for the semiconductor package, where the lid extends to vertically oriented end protrusions so that the protrusions are positioned within the adhesive or thermoplastic material to secure the protrusions within the adhesive or thermoplastic material to provide a seal for the semiconductor package.

Semi-hermetic semiconductor package

A method of forming packaged semiconductor devices includes providing a lead frame sheet of flat no-lead lead frames having a semiconductor die on a die pad, terminals, and plastic encapsulation except on a back side of the sheet to provide an exposed thermal die pad and exposed back sides of the terminals. Partial sawing in saw lanes begins from the back side through the terminals terminating within the plastic encapsulation to provide exposed side walls of the terminals and of the plastic encapsulation. The exposed thermal pad and exposed back side of the terminals are all shorted together to form exposed electrically interconnected metal surfaces (interconnected surfaces). The interconnected surfaces are electroplated with a solder wetable metal or metal alloy plating layer. The interconnected surfaces are decoupled. A second sawing in the saw lanes finishes sawing through the plastic encapsulation to provide singulation, forming a plurality of packaged semiconductor devices.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Alok Kumar Lohia