Sproutless pre-packaged molding for component encapsulation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for encapsulating an integrated circuit die and leadframe assembly. A prepackaged sproutless mold compound insert is placed in a rectangular receptacle in a bottom mold chase . The receptacle is coupled to a plurality of die cavities by runners . Leadframe strip assemblies containing leadframes, integrated circuit dies, and bond wires coupling the leadframes and dies are placed over the bottom mold chase such that the integrated circuit dies are each centered over a bottom mold die cavity . A top mold chase is placed over the bottom mold chase and the mold compound package . The top mold chase has die cavities corresponding to those in the bottom mold chase . The mold compound insert is preferably packaged in a plastic film which has heat sealed edges . The mold compound is forced through the package and heat seals during the molding process by the pressure applied by a rectangular plunger . The sproutless mold compound insert is packaged so that the mold compound will exit the packaging only where runners intersect the receptacle. The sproutless mold compound insert requires no alignment or cutting tools within the mold station. The plunger is applied using variable speed and pressure to control the rate the mold compound fills the cavities in the top and bottom mold chases, thereby avoiding voids in the completed packages and mining wire sweep of the bond wires of the integrated circuit assemblies.