Side-Solderable Leadless Package
A leadframe is formed by chemically half-etching a sheet of conductive material. The half-etching exposes a first side surface of a first contact of the leadframe. A solder wettable layer is plated over the first side surface of the first contact. An encapsulant is deposited over the leadframe after plating the solder wettable layer.
1 . A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor die;
an encapsulant deposited over the semiconductor die; and
a plurality of contacts exposed from the encapsulant, wherein each of the plurality of contacts includes a half-etched portion forming a side surface that extends for an entire length or width of the encapsulant, and wherein the side surface includes a solder wettable layer formed over the side surface.
2 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further including an indentation formed in each of the plurality of contacts with the encapsulant deposited within the indentation of each of the plurality of contacts.
3 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further including:
a substrate; and
a solder fillet extending from a first contact of the plurality of contacts to the substrate.
4 . The semiconductor device of claim 3 , wherein the solder fillet extends from the first contact to outside a footprint of the encapsulant.
5 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the side surface of each of the plurality of contacts is exposed from the encapsulant.
6 . The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein only one of the plurality of contacts includes a notch.
7 . The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the notch is formed at a corner of the one of the plurality of contacts opposite the side surface.
8 . A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor die;
an encapsulant deposited over the semiconductor die; and
a contact including an exposed side surface that extends for an entire length or width of the encapsulant, wherein the side surface is formed by half-etching such that a height of the side surface is less than a height of the contact and a portion of the contact above the side surface extends beyond the side surface to an edge of the encapsulant.
9 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the side surface is exposed from the encapsulant.
10 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , further including an indentation formed in the contact with the encapsulant deposited within the indentation.
11 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , further including:
a substrate; and
a solder fillet extending from the contact to the substrate.
12 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the contact includes a notch filled with encapsulant and visible from outside the encapsulant.
13 . The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the notch is formed at a corner of the contact opposite the side surface.
14 . The semiconductor device of claim 8 , wherein the side surface is plated with a solder wettable layer.
15 . A semiconductor device, comprising:
a semiconductor die;
an encapsulant deposited over the semiconductor die; and
a contact including a half-etched portion that extends for an entire length or width of the encapsulant, wherein a side surface of the contact is exposed from the encapsulant, and wherein the side surface of the contact extends for the entire length or width of the encapsulant.
16 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , further including:
a substrate; and
a solder fillet extending from the contact to the substrate.
17 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the side surface is exposed from the encapsulant.
18 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the contact includes a notch filled with encapsulant and visible from outside the encapsulant.
19 . The semiconductor device of claim 18 , wherein the notch is formed at a corner of the contact opposite the side surface.
20 . The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the side surface is plated with a solder wettable layer.