Method for producing a protection for chip edges and system for the protection of chip edges

1. A method for manufacturing an electronic component, the method comprising:

mounting a semiconductor chip with a bonding channel on a substrate, the mounting being performed using an adhesive with an outline that is smaller than an outline of the semiconductor chip so that a circumferential undercut is formed along an outer edge between the semiconductor chip and the substrate;

forming electrical connections between the semiconductor chip and the substrate;

introducing an encapsulant material that can flow into the bonding channel until the encapsulant material uniformly surrounds the edge of the semiconductor chip and forms a material fillet;

heat-treating the encapsulant material;

subsequently, introducing additional encapsulant material into the bonding channel so that the bonding channel is completely filled with encapsulant material; and

hardening the encapsulant thereby causing the encapsulant to shrink.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein forming electrical connections comprises forming bond wires between the semiconductor chip and the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein hardening the encapsulant material comprises hardening the encapsulant by heat treatment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the encapsulant material comprises an epoxy/silicone mixture.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the encapsulant material is introduced into the bonding channel by printing or dispensing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein complete protection for the electronic component is produced by printing or molding in subsequent process steps.

7. A method of protecting chip edges on electronic components, in which semiconductor chips, which are provided with a bonding channel that is open at the side, are mounted on a substrate with the interposition of a tape, the semiconductor chip being mounted on the substrate using a tape whose outline is smaller than the outline of the semiconductor chip, so that a circumferential undercut is formed as a capillaiy along the outer edge between the semiconductor chip and the substrate, wherein, after the production of the electrical connections between the semiconductor chip and the substrate by means of bonding wires in a first step, an encapsulant material which can flow and shrinks during hardening is introduced into the bonding channel until the encapsulant material uniformily surrounds the edge of the semiconductor chip so as to form a material fillet, the encapsulant is then heat-treated, and in that the bonding channel is subsequently completely filled with encapsulant material in a second step.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the encapsulant material is hardened after the second step.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the encapsulant material is hardened by heat treatment.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the encapsulant material comprises an epoxy/silicone mixture.

11. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the encapsulant material is introduced into the bonding channel by printing or dispensing.

12. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the amount of encapsulant material which is introduced in the first step depends on the component.

13. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein complete protection for the electronic component is produced by printing or molding in subsequent process steps.