U.S. patent application number 11/770369 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-21 for stress mitigation in packaged microchips.
This patent application is currently assigned to ANALOG DEVICES, INC.. Invention is credited to Kevin H.L. Chau, Peter Farrell, Michael Judy, Nelson Kuan, Chetan Paydenkar, Timothy Spooner, Xin Zhang.
Application Number | 20100013067 11/770369 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38698262 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100013067 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Zhang; Xin ; et al. |
January 21, 2010 |
Stress Mitigation in Packaged Microchips
Abstract
A package apparatus has a base coupled with a lid to form a
leadframe package. The package has first and second exterior
surfaces with respective first and second contact patterns. The
first and second contact patterns are substantially electrically
identical to permit the package to be either vertically or
horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.
Inventors: |
Zhang; Xin; (Acton, MA)
; Judy; Michael; (Ipswich, MA) ; Chau; Kevin
H.L.; (Danville, CA) ; Kuan; Nelson;
(Brookline, MA) ; Spooner; Timothy; (Dunstable,
MA) ; Paydenkar; Chetan; (Cambridge, MA) ;
Farrell; Peter; (Lunenburg, MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Sunstein Kann Murphy & Timbers LLP
125 SUMMER STREET
BOSTON
MA
02110-1618
US
|
Assignee: |
ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
Norwood
MA
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20080157298 A1 |
July 3, 2008 |
|
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Family ID: |
38698262 |
Appl. No.: |
11/770369 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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60817652 |
Jun 29, 2006 |
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60830640 |
Jul 13, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
257/669 ;
257/E23.045 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 2924/00014
20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L 23/3107 20130101; H01L
23/4951 20130101; H01L 2924/10253 20130101; H01L 2924/15747
20130101; H01L 2924/19041 20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L
2924/181 20130101; H01L 2924/10253 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101;
H01L 2224/45015 20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L 2924/1461
20130101; H01L 2924/181 20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; H01L
24/48 20130101; H01L 2924/1461 20130101; H01L 23/3142 20130101;
H01L 2924/15747 20130101; H01L 2224/48091 20130101; H01L 24/49
20130101; H01L 2224/48471 20130101; H01L 2924/14 20130101; H01L
23/49503 20130101; H01L 2224/49171 20130101; H01L 2924/14 20130101;
H01L 2924/1433 20130101; H01L 2224/48247 20130101; H01L 2924/00012
20130101; H01L 2924/00 20130101; H01L 2924/00014 20130101; H01L
2924/207 20130101; H01L 2224/45099 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
257/669 ;
257/E23.045 |
International
Class: |
H01L 23/495 20060101
H01L023/495 |
Claims
1. A package apparatus comprising: a base; and a lid coupled with
the base forming a leadframe package, the leadframe package forming
a first exterior surface and a second exterior surface, the first
exterior surface forming a first contact pattern, the second
exterior surface forming a second contact pattern, the first
exterior surface being in a plane that intersects the plane of the
second exterior surface, the first and second contact patterns
being substantially electrically identical to permit the package to
be either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying
apparatus.
2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the base and lid
form a premolded leadframe package.
3. The apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein the base and lid
form a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit.
4. The apparatus as defined by claim 3 further comprising an
integrated circuit mounted within the chamber, the integrated
circuit being substantially identically electrically connected with
the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern.
5. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the lid and base
comprise a moldable material, the first contact pattern comprising
a first plurality of contacts substantially embedded within the
moldable material of at least one of the lid and base, the second
contact pattern comprising a second plurality of contacts
substantially embedded within the moldable material of at least one
of the lid and base.
6. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the lid comprises a
lid leadframe, the base comprising a base leadframe, the lid
leadframe being in electrical contact with the base leadframe.
7. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the first exterior
surface is substantially orthogonal to the second exterior
surface.
8. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the first exterior
surface is adjacent to the second exterior surface.
9. An apparatus comprising: a base; and a lid coupled with the base
to form a package having at least one leadframe, the base and lid
forming a plurality of exterior surfaces, the at least one
leadframe forming a first contact means on a first exterior
surface, the at least one leadframe forming a second contact means
on a second exterior surface, the first exterior surface being
orthogonal to the second exterior surface, the first contact means
and second contact means being substantially electrically identical
to permit the package to be either vertically or horizontally
mounted to an underlying apparatus.
10. The apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein the first contact
means comprises a plurality of contacts.
11. The apparatus as defined by claim 9 further comprising an
electrical interconnect apparatus coupled with no more than one of
the first contact means or the second contact means.
12. The apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein the package is a
premolded leadframe package.
13. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the base and lid
form a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit.
14. The apparatus as defined by claim 13 further comprising an
integrated circuit mounted within the chamber.
15. The apparatus as defined by claim 9 wherein the lid comprises a
leadframe encapsulated in moldable material.
16. A method of forming a packaged integrated circuit, the method
comprising: forming at least one leadframe to have a first
plurality of contacts and a second plurality of contacts;
encapsulating a portion of the at least one leadframe within a
moldable material to form a base and a lid; securing an integrated
circuit to the base after encapsulating; electrically connecting
the integrated circuit with the a least one leadframe, the
integrated circuit substantially identically electrically
connecting with the first plurality of contacts and the second
plurality of contacts; and connecting the base to the lid to form a
premolded package having first and second orthogonal, exterior
surfaces, the first plurality of contacts being on the first
exterior surface, the second plurality of contacts being on the
second exterior surface.
17. The method as defined by claim 16 wherein encapsulating
comprises: encapsulating a first leadframe with the moldable
material to form the lid; and encapsulating a second leadframe with
the moldable material to form the base.
18. The method as defined by claim 17 wherein the first leadframe
is in electrical contact with the second leadframe after connecting
the base to the lid.
19. The method as defined by claim 16 wherein the integrated
circuit comprises a MEMS device.
20. The method as defined by claim 16 wherein encapsulating
comprises embedding the first plurality of contacts within the
moldable material.
21. A package apparatus comprising: a base; and a lid coupled with
the base forming a package, the package forming a first exterior
surface and a second exterior surface, the first exterior surface
forming a first contact pattern, the second exterior surface
forming a second contact pattern, the first exterior surface being
in a plane that intersects the plane of the second exterior
surface, the first and second contact patterns being substantially
electrically identical to permit the package to be either
vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.
Description
PRIORITY
[0001] This patent application claims priority from provisional
U.S. patent application No. 60/832,742, filed Jul. 21, 2006,
entitled, "PACKAGE HAVING A PLURALITY OF MOUNTING ORIENTATIONS,"
and naming Timothy R. Spooner and Nelson Kuan as inventors, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein, in its entirety, by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention generally relates to electronic device
packaging and, more particularly, the invention relates to mounting
orientations of electronic packages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Leadframe based packages commonly are formed to be surface
mounted in a horizontal orientation. Specifically, during use, the
exterior package surface having the largest surface area (i.e.,
often referred to as the "bottom side" of the package) typically is
surface mounted to a printed circuit board or other similar
interconnection apparatus. There are times, however, when this
mounting orientation is not optimal. For example, as known by those
skilled in the art, an accelerometer often is oriented along a
specific axis. As such, it generally requires a specific mounting
orientation. The circuit board supporting the accelerometer
therefore must be mounted within the underlying device in the
correct orientation. Requiring that a circuit board be mounted in a
specific orientation can be cumbersome and inefficient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a
package apparatus has a base coupled with a lid to form a leadframe
package. The package has first and second exterior surfaces with
respective first and second contact patterns. In illustrative
embodiments, the first exterior surface is in a plane that
intersects the plane of the second exterior surface (e.g., the two
planes are not parallel). The first and second contact patterns are
substantially electrically identical to permit the package to be
either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying
apparatus.
[0005] The base and lid illustratively form a premolded leadframe
package with a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit. The
package apparatus also may have an integrated circuit (e.g., a MEMS
device, such as an accelerometer or a gyroscope) secured within the
chamber. The integrated circuit may be substantially identically
electrically connected with the first contact pattern and the
second contact pattern.
[0006] As premolded components, the lid and base include a moldable
material. The first contact pattern may have a first plurality of
contacts substantially embedded within the moldable material of at
least one of the lid and base. Of course, although embedded, the
contacts are exposed for mounting to an exterior apparatus.
Accordingly, the moldable material does not completely encapsulate
the contacts of this embodiment. In a similar manner, the second
contact pattern may have a second plurality of contacts
substantially embedded within the moldable material of at least one
of the lid and base. In some embodiments, the first exterior
surface is orthogonal to the second exterior surface.
[0007] In some embodiments, the base has a base leadframe that is
in electrical contact with a leadframe embedded by moldable
material of the lid. Moreover, the base may have a plurality of
walls that form a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit.
[0008] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a
method of forming a packaged integrated circuit forms at least one
leadframe to have a first plurality of contacts and a second
plurality of contacts. Next, the method encapsulates a portion of
the at least one leadframe within a moldable material to form a
base and a lid. After encapsulating, the method secures an
integrated circuit to the base, and electrically connects the
integrated circuit with the a least one leadframe. Specifically,
the integrated circuit substantially identically electrically
connects with the first plurality of contacts and the second
plurality of contacts. Finally, the method connects the base to the
lid to form a premolded package having first and second orthogonal,
exterior surfaces. After the package is formed, the first plurality
of contacts are on the first exterior surface, while the second
plurality of contacts are on the second exterior surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The foregoing advantages of the invention will be
appreciated more fully from the following further description
thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 schematically shows a bottom perspective view of a
package configured in accordance with illustrative embodiments of
the invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 schematically shows a bottom perspective view of
another package configured in accordance with illustrative
embodiments of the invention.
[0012] FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional, partially
exploded view of the package shown in FIG. 1 along line 3-3.
[0013] FIG. 4 schematically shows the package of FIG. 1 coupled
with a printed circuit board.
[0014] FIG. 5 shows a process of forming the packaged microchip
shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] In illustrative embodiments of the invention, a premolded
leadframe package has at least two, non-parallel exterior sides
with substantially electrically identical contact patterns.
Accordingly, such a package is capable of being mounted in at least
two different orientations (e.g., on its side surface or on its
bottom surface). Designers thus can orient the package to the
requirements of a particular application--they no longer are
limited to orienting the printed circuit board only. Details of
various embodiments are discussed below.
[0016] FIG. 1 schematically shows a bottom, perspective view of a
packaged electronic device 10 (also referred to as a "packaged
microchip 10") configured in accordance with illustrative
embodiments of the invention. Among other things, the packaged
electronic device 10 can contain an integrated circuit chip, such
as an ASIC or a MEMS device (see FIG. 3, discussed below). For
example, if a MEMS device, the packaged electronic device 10 can
function as an inertial sensor, such as an accelerometer or
gyroscope, or as a transducer, such as a microphone or
microspeaker.
[0017] The packaged electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 1 has a base
12 that, together with a corresponding lid 14, forms a premolded
leadframe package 13 for containing circuitry, such as the above
noted integrated circuit chips and/or other circuitry. In a manner
similar to many other types of packages, the leadframe package 13
of this embodiment has a generally rectangular cross-sectional
shape with six sides; namely, a top surface 22A, a bottom surface
22B and four side surfaces 20. The top and bottom surfaces 22A and
22B have larger surface areas than those of the side surfaces 20.
As shown, some of the surfaces 20, 22A, and 22B of the embodiment
shown are generally orthogonal to each of their adjacent surfaces.
Moreover, as discussed above and shown in FIG. 1, at least two
generally nonparallel (e.g., orthogonal) surfaces 20, 22A, and 22B
of the package 13 have separate but substantially electrically
equivalent contact patterns (generally identified by reference
number "18").
[0018] For example, one side surface 20 may have a first contact
pattern 18, while the bottom surface 22B may have a second contact
pattern 18. In accordance with illustrative embodiments of the
invention, the first contact pattern 18 on the side surface 20 may
be substantially electrically equivalent to the second contact
pattern 18 on the bottom surface 22B. Among other ways, each
contact (also identified by reference number "18") of the first
contact pattern 18 may have a corresponding, electrically
equivalent contact 18 on the second contact pattern 18.
Alternatively, one contact 18 (or more contacts 18) on the first
contact pattern 18 may have multiple corresponding, electrically
equivalent contacts 18 on the second contact pattern 18.
Accordingly, in this example, the package 13 may mount to an
underlying interconnect apparatus 24 (see FIG. 4, discussed below)
either on its side surface 20, or on its bottom surface 22B.
[0019] A set of one or more contacts 18 may be considered to be
substantially electrically identical or equivalent with another set
of one or more contacts 18 on another surface when either set may
be used to make the same electrical connection with the internal
circuitry of the package 13. For example, the internal chip may be
a gyroscope having an output for forwarding an output signal
identifying rotational movement. If this gyroscope output is
electrically connected to a first set of contacts 18 on one side
surface 20 of the package 13, and also to a second set of contacts
18 on the bottom surface 22B, then the first and second sets of
contacts 18 each receive substantially identical electrical
signals. As such, the first and second sets of contacts 18 are
considered to be substantially electrically identical. Accordingly,
either the bottom surface 22B or the side surface 20 may be mounted
to an interconnect apparatus 24, thus providing flexibility in the
mounting orientation of the package 13.
[0020] As noted above, electrical equivalence does not necessarily
require a one-to-one relationship between the contacts 18 of two
different sides. For example, one side of the package 13 may have a
single contact 18 for forwarding a specific signal to, or receiving
a specific signal from, internal package components. The package
13, however, may have two or more contacts 18 on another side for
providing the same electrical connection (i.e., for forwarding or
receiving the same specific signal). These two or more contacts 18
on the other side may be required to receive the entire signal
(e.g., each provides a portion of the signal), or both may receive
the same signal.
[0021] Accordingly, the package 13 shown in FIG. 1 may be surface
mounted to a printed circuit board 24 or related apparatus on one
of its side surfaces 20 (see FIG. 4, discussed below), on its
bottom surface 22B, or on its top surface 22A (if it has contacts
18). The application therefore can dictate the ultimate
orientation. It should be noted that the number and positioning of
contacts 18 can vary depending upon application.
[0022] Illustrative embodiments use conventional surface mounting
techniques to secure the package 13 to an underlying interconnect
apparatus 24, such as a printed circuit board 24. Of course, other
embodiments may use other techniques for securing the package 13,
such as with solder balls.
[0023] To improve stability, the contacts 18 illustratively are
formed as far apart as possible on a given surface. For example,
the two side surfaces 20 may each have contacts 18 at or near its
far corners. In some embodiments, however, the contacts 18 are not
at the corners. If the contacts 18 are embedded (discussed below)
and flush with the molding material, the side or surface 20, 22A or
22B may provide much of the support.
[0024] It should be noted that discussion of adjacent sides or
orthogonal sides and the relationship of contact patterns 18 is
illustrative of several embodiments only. Such embodiments
necessarily fall under the general characterization of being two
non-parallel sides. In other words, at least one side having the
noted contact pattern 18 is in a plane that intersects the plane of
the other side (having the electrically identical contact pattern
18). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, some of these non-parallel sides
are not necessarily on adjacent sides (i.e., FIG. 2 shows
intermediate sides 22C that are between the primary sides 20, 22A
and 22B). Accordingly, discussion of adjacent sides, or orthogonal
sides, is not intended to limit many other embodiments of the
invention.
[0025] FIG. 3 schematically shows a cross-sectional, partially
exploded view of the packaged electronic device 10 shown in FIG. 1
along line 3-3. This view shows an internal chamber 32 formed by
coupling the lid 14 to the base 12, and the chip 16 mounted
therein. Moreover, this view also shows a part of the interior
leadframe(s) 26, its/their extension to the bottom and side
surfaces 22B and 20, and its/their coupling to the chip 16 via
wirebonds 28.
[0026] Specifically, this figure shows the interior chamber 32
containing circuitry, such as a chip 16 and/or analog circuitry.
For simplicity, only the chip 16 is discussed. It nevertheless
should be recognized that different circuitry (other than, or in
addition to the chip 16) may be within the chamber 32.
[0027] The base 12 in this embodiment is a premolded, leadframe
cavity-type base, which has four walls 30 extending generally
orthogonally from a bottom, interior face to form a cavity. In a
similar manner, the lid 14 also effectively is a premolded,
leadframe lid. In other words, the lid 14 comprises a leadframe 26
encapsulated by molding material. Like the base 12, the lid 14 also
has exposed metal forming contacts 18 and electrically connecting
with the leadframe 26 of the base 12. Accordingly, this type of
leadframe package 13 shown in FIG. 3 is formed from at least two
leadframes 26. In alternative embodiments, however, the lid 14 does
not have a leadframe.
[0028] The lid 14 secures to the top face of the walls 30 to form
the interior chamber 32. To ensure a proper physical connection,
one or more details 34 in the base 12 may mate with corresponding
details 34 formed in the lid 14. For example, the details 34 of the
base 12 may be upwardly extending protrusions, while the details 34
of the lid 14 may be corresponding orifices. As noted above,
physical connection of the lid 14 and base 12 mechanically and
electrically connects the leadframes 26 of the lid 14 and the base
12. The lid 14 and base 12 thus form a premolded, leadframe-type
package 13 (also referred to as a "premolded package 13").
[0029] As known by those in the art, a premolded package has a
moldable material (e.g., polymeric material, such as plastic)
molded directly to a leadframe. Such package type generally is
formed before the chip 16 is secured to it. This package type thus
typically is ready to accept the chip 16 without requiring any
additional molding operations. In other words, a premolded,
leadframe-type package is ready made to package the electronic chip
16. This is in contrast to certain types of other plastic packages,
such as "overmolded" or "post-molded" packages, which apply molten
plastic to the chip 16 after it is coupled with leads of its
leadframe. It nevertheless is anticipated that some embodiments can
apply to post-molded and other technologies. For example, among
others, some embodiments may apply to ceramic packages or stacked
laminated packages using leadframes, vias, or other conductive
paths to make appropriate connections.
[0030] FIG. 4 schematically shows the packaged microchip 10 mounted
on one of its side surfaces 20 to a printed circuit board 24. As
shown, to improve mechanical stability, the package 13 is coupled
to the printed circuit board 24 at or near its corners. It should
be noted, however, that some embodiments may mount the package 13
inwardly from its corners.
[0031] The contacts 18 may be any of a plurality of different types
of contacts. Among other things, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4
has pads, which are substantially embedded within the molding
material of the package 13. It should be noted that the molding
material does not completely encapsulate this type of contact
18--it must be partially exposed to electrically connect with an
interconnect apparatus 24. For example, the contact 18 may be flush
with the mold material. Alternatively, the contact 18 may be
somewhat recessed within, or somewhat protruding from, the mold
material. In other embodiments, however, the contacts 18 may be
pins extending from the package 13.
[0032] FIG. 5 shows a process of forming the packaged microchip 10
shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with illustrative embodiments of the
invention. This process shows various primary steps of a much
larger process. Accordingly, those in the art should understand
that further steps may be added, or some of the steps shown may be
modified or omitted depending upon the application.
[0033] The process begins at step 500, which processes a pair of
leadframes 26. Specifically, the process stamps, etches, and/or
bends, etc . . . a first leadframe 26 for use as the base 12, and a
second leadframe 26 for use as the lid 14. Conventional techniques
thus may form the leadframes 26 so that they have the configuration
shown in FIG. 3. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 3, the
leadframes 26 are formed to ensure that the ultimately package 13
has contacts 18 on at least two adjacent surfaces. In addition, the
leadframes 26 also are formed to ensure proper electrical
communication between the lid 14 and the base 12.
[0034] To improve fabrication efficiency, the process preferably
uses batch processing techniques, which process two-dimensional
arrays of leadframes 26 that ultimately are diced. For simplicity,
however, the process of FIG. 5 is discussed without application of
batch processing techniques.
[0035] The process continues to step 502, which encapsulates the
leadframes 26 in a molding material, such as a conventional
plastic. Accordingly, after completing this step, the process has
formed the primary components of the leadframe package 13, which
includes the lid 14 and base 12 shown in the figures.
[0036] At this point, the process may secure the die 16 and
circuitry within the base 12 (step 504). For example, the die 16
may be secured with a conventional adhesive or other apparatus to a
die attach pad or similar surface within the cavity of the base 12.
Additional circuitry may be added, such as an application-specific
integrated circuit (i.e., an ASIC) or a discrete circuit element
(e.g., a capacitor).
[0037] After securing the die 16, the process electrically connects
the electrical interfaces of the die 16 with the leadframe 26 of
the base 12 (step 506). To that end, the process may connect the
wirebonds 28 to specified portions of the leadframe 26 in the base
12. For example, in the simplified device 10 shown in FIG. 3, one
wirebond 28 connects with a first lead to the left of the die 16
(from the perspective of the drawing), while another wirebond 28
connects with a second lead to the right of the die 16. The lead to
the left of the die 16 effectively forms two contacts 18; namely,
one contact 18 on the bottom surface 22B and another, electrically
equivalent/identical contact 18 on the side surface 20. The lead to
the right of the die 16 connects to another contact 18 on the
bottom surface 22B and an exposed metal lead at the top of the base
12.
[0038] The process then concludes at step 508, which secures the
lid 14 to the base 12. Any conventional means may be used to secure
the two together, such as by using an adhesive or an ultrasonic
weld. For the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the bottom portion of the
lid leadframe 26 mechanically contacts the exposed metal at the top
of the base 12. This mechanical contact electrically connects the
lead positioned to the right of the die 16 to a second contact 18
on the side surface 20 of the lid 14. Of course, discussion of only
two contacts 18 is for simplicity only. Actual applications often
can have many more contacts 18.
[0039] The premolded package 13 shown in FIG. 3 thus has
substantially electrically identical contact patterns 18 on the
bottom surface 22B and side surface 20. In other words, the package
13 may be horizontally mounted (i.e., mounted on its bottom surface
22B) or vertically mounted (i.e., mounted on its side surface 20,
as shown in FIG. 4) to an underlying interconnect apparatus 24.
Accordingly, rather than requiring a chip manufacturer to produce
one packaged microchip for vertical mounting, and a second,
different packaged microchip with identical functionality for
horizontal mounting, various embodiments of this invention enable a
single packaged microchip 10 to perform both functions.
[0040] In addition to providing more flexibility for mounting the
packaged microchip 10, using leadframe package technology as
discussed should significantly reduce device cost when compared to
many other packaging technologies, such as ceramic package
technology. Accordingly, illustrative embodiments are intended to
provide a lower cost, flexible mounting solution in a number of
applications.
[0041] Moreover, various embodiments permit additional uses. For
example, some test handling equipment and fixturing may be
configured to test horizontal parts, which are designed for
horizontal mounting. For vertical mounted (packaged) microchips,
however, such a test device may not suffice. Various embodiments,
however, permit packaged microchips that are to be vertically
mounted to be tested in a horizontal orientation.
[0042] Although the above discussion discloses various exemplary
embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that those
skilled in the art can make various modifications that will achieve
some of the advantages of the invention without departing from the
true scope of the invention. For example, the lid 14 can form a
cavity rather than, or in addition to the base 12. As another
example, the package 13 can have adjacent sides/surfaces that are
not substantially orthogonal (e.g., see FIG. 1), or packages having
more or fewer than six sides. For example, the package 13 can have
angled or curved surfaces between the top surface 22A and side
surface 20. Moreover, discussion of leadframes as providing the
conductive paths and contacts 18 is illustrative. For example,
leadframes and other conductive members (e.g., vias) may provide
appropriate connections and contacts 18. Accordingly, those in the
art can modify various aspects and still achieve the various
advantages of illustrative embodiments.
* * * * *