Electronic device and method of manufacturing thereof

1. An electronic device provided with an electric element and an encapsulation of electrically insulating material, and a carrier with a first side facing the element and an opposed second side, said carrier comprising:

a patterned connection layer,

contact pads for coupling to an external carrier or an external element, and

an intermediate layer of electrically conductive material, which is patterned so as to create interconnects between the patterned connection layer and the contact pads, the interconnects are mutually isolated by isolation areas, the encapsulation extending into the isolation areas,

wherein a protective layer is present at the second side of the carrier so as to protect an interface between the intermediate layer and the contact pads, the protective layer being in contact with the intermediate layer.

2. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier includes bond pads at the first side of the carrier that are mechanically anchored in the encapsulation.

3. An electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least a number of the contact pads is laterally displaced with respect to the corresponding bond pads.

4. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protective layer laterally extends so as to cover the intermediate layer.

5. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electric element is a semiconductor device, that is at least partially encapsulated in the encapsulation.

6. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the contact pads include a main layer and a masking layer, the masking layer being present at the second side of the carrier, and wherein the protective layer is at least partially located between the masking layer and the intermediate layer.

7. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protective layer is electrically conductive material, the protective layer including at least one of Sn and Ni.

8. An electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protective layer is electrically insulating material.

9. An electronic device comprising an electric element; an encapsulation of electrically insulating material; a carrier having a first side facing the electric element and an opposed second side, said carrier including:

a patterned connection layer,

contact pads for coupling to an external carrier or an external element, the contact pads including a main layer and a masking layer, said masking layer being present at the second side of the carrier and having a larger surface area than the main layer, and

an intermediate layer of electrically conductive material that is patterned to create interconnects between the patterned connection layer and the contact pads, the interconnects being mutually isolated by isolation areas, the encapsulation extending into the isolation areas; and

a protective layer present at the second side of the carrier to protect an interface between the intermediate layer and the contact pads, the protective layer being substantially present between the masking layer and the intermediate layer, such that on perpendicular projection of the protective layer on the masking layer there is a substantial overlap.

10. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the carrier includes bond pads located at the first side of the carrier, each of the bond pads having a corresponding one of the contact pads, and each of the bond pads being laterally displaced with respect to its corresponding contact pad.

11. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the protective layer is electrically conductive material, the protective layer including at least one of Sn and Ni.

12. An electronic device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the protective layer is electrically insulating material.