International Business Machines Corporation

Real Joseph Tetreault

Martial A Letourneau

Benson Chan

Paul Francis Fortier

John Henry Sherman

Glen Walden Johnson

Marie-Claude Paquet

Francois Guindon

Catherine Dufort

Marie-France Boyaud

Ladd William Freitag

Lynda Boutin

Gary T Galli

Joseph Georges Tremblay

A method, mold and apparatus for encapsulating and underfilling an integrated circuit chip assembly. The mold has a first portion and a second portion with the first portion having first and second cavities and at least one channel interconnecting the first and second cavities. The first cavity is adapted to enclose the integrated circuit chip on the substrate. A clamping force is applied to the first and second portions of the mold to clamp the substrate between them with the integrated circuit chip located in the first cavity. Vents exhaust air from the first cavity. Encapsulant is injected into the first cavity of the first portion at a location in the first portion remote from the point of connection of the channel such that encapsulant flows around and underneath the integrated circuit chip and through the channel into the second cavity to thereby underfill and encapsulate the integrated circuit assembly.

Transfer molding of integrated circuit packages

A method, mold and apparatus for encapsulating and underfilling an integrated circuit chip assembly. The mold has a first portion and a second portion with the first portion having first and second cavities and at least one channel interconnecting said first and second cavities. The first cavity is adapted to enclose said integrated circuit chip on said substrate. A clamping force is applied to the first and second portions of the mold to clamp the substrate between them with the integrated circuit chip located in the first cavity. Vents exhaust air from the first cavity. Encapsulant is injected into the first cavity of the first portion at a location in the first portion remote from the point of connection of the channel such that encapsulant flows around and underneath the integrated circuit chip and through the channel into the second cavity to thereby underfill and encapsulate the integrated circuit assembly.

A heat sink for a transceiver optoelectronic module including dual direct heat paths and a structure which encloses a number of chips having a central web which electrically isolates transmitter and receiver chips from each other. A retainer for an optical coupler having a port into which epoxy is poured. An overmolded base for an optoelectronic module having epoxy flow controller members built thereon. Assembly methods for an optoelectronic module including gap setting and variation of a TAB bonding process.

Assembly of opto-electronic module with improved heat sink

There is provided a method, mold and apparatus for encapsulating and underfilling an integrated circuit chip assembly including an integrated circuit chip mounted on a substrate in a standoff relationship. The mold has a first portion and a second portion with the first portion having first and second cavities and at least one channel interconnecting said first and second cavities. The first cavity is adapted to enclose said integrated circuit chip on said substrate. Means, e.g., a clamp, applies a clamping force to the first and the second portions of the mold to clamp the substrate between the first and second portions with the integrated circuit chip located in the first cavity. Vent means exhausts air from the first cavity. Means for injecting encapsulant into the first cavity of the first portion at a location in the first portion remote from the point of connection of the channel to the first cavity, such that encapsulant flows around and underneath the integrated circuit chip and through the channel into the second cavity to thereby underfill and encapsulate the integrated circuit assembly.

Alignment systems for optoelectronic modules with overmolded chip carriers include drilled or milled substrate corners for engaging dowel pins to precisely align the substrate in a mold for molding an overmold frame on the substrate. The overmold frame includes slot and trilobe holes for receiving retainer posts to precisely align a retainer assembly on the overmold frame. Cooperating standoff pads on the overmold frame and on the retainer assembly stabilize the assembly of these components and provide a precise gap for receiving an adhesive to permanently attach these two components. The retainer assembly carries optoelectronic components that include a flexible circuit, and a distal end portion of this flexible circuit and walls of a receiving cavity in the overmold frame have cooperating features for precisely aligning distal electrical leads of the flexible circuit with an array of electrical pads on the substrate. A permanent shroud on a proximate end portion of the flexible circuit protects and helps align proximate electrical leads with electrical pads on optic dies and their carriers.

Alignment systems for subassemblies of overmolded optoelectronic modules

A heat sink for a transceiver optoelectronic module including dual direct heat paths and structure which encloses a number of chips having a central web which electrically isolates transmitter and receiver chips from each other. A retainer for an optical coupler having a port into which epoxy is poured. An overmolded base for an optoelectronic module having epoxy flow controller members built thereon. Assembly methods for an optoelectronic module including gap setting and variation of a TAB bonding process.

A method and resulting integrated circuit package is disclosed for encapsulating integrated circuit chips using transfer molding techniques in a form known as cavity packages. Each chip is positioned within a cavity surrounded by a laminate or printed wiring board which provides an array of contacts. The contacts provide for connections to an external circuit board/card and the contacts are also indirectly connected internally to the chip. The cavity, chip and some of the laminate, contacts and interconnections are on the same side of the carrier. Liquid plastic is forced into the cavity via a runner in a mold through a gate in the bottom of the carrier in order to encapsulate all of these components.

Transfer molding method for forming integrated circuit package

This invention provides an improved apparatus and method for encapsulating the solder ball interconnections of an integrated circuit assembly which accommodates the use of high viscosity encapsulating materials and enables flush molding to be accomplished without substantially altering the exposed surface of the integrated circuit chip. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention, an integrated circuit chip assembly including an integrated circuit chip mounted on a chip carrier or directly on a circuit board in a standoff relationship by solder ball connections is provided. A mold is placed over the integrated circuit chip. The mold of one embodiment has a compliant material disposed on the molding surface of the mold cavity. The mold also has at least one inlet hole for dispensing encapsulant into the mold, at least one opening for applying a vacuum to the mold and at least one vent. The mold is placed so that the compliant material is flush against the exposed surface of the integrated circuit chip. External pressure is applied to the mold to seal the mold to the surface of the substrate. A metered volume of encapsulant material is dispensed through the inlet into the space surrounding the integrated circuit chip and the space between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board while a vacuum is applied to the mold to facilitate flow into the mold and around the solder ball interconnections. After the required amount of encapsulant material is dispensed, the material is cured to form a bond between the integrated circuit chip and the chip carrier or circuit board and reinforce the solder ball connections. In another embodiment of the mold of this invention, a bore hole extends through the mold and into the cavity. The bore hole is fitted with a push pin and a retractable spring support which together serve as a biasing mechanism during the molding process.

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Granby, Canada

Real Joseph Tetreault