Packaged semiconductor devices including pre-molded lead-frame structures, and related methods and systems

1. A packaged semiconductor device, comprising:

a pre-molded lead-frame structure including

first and second lead-fingers; and

a molded structure that forms a pre-molded cavity and is molded around portions of each of the first and second lead-fingers to thereby mechanically attach each of the first and second lead-fingers to the molded structure;

wherein the molded structure includes pre-molded walls and a pre-molded floor that define the pre-molded cavity; and

wherein an upper surface of the pre-molded floor is substantially coplanar with a portion of an upper surface of each of the first and second lead-fingers;

a semiconductor structure within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure, the semiconductor structure including a top surface and a bottom surface; and

first and second bond wires respectively providing electrical connections between the semiconductor structure and the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

wherein a portion of the upper surface each of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure is mechanically attached to the bottom surface of the semiconductor structure to inhibit relative mechanical motion between the semiconductor structure, the molded structure and the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

a portion of the pre-molded floor of the molded structure fills in a gap between the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure; and

the bottom surface of the semiconductor structure is mechanically attached, by an adhesive, to the portion of the pre-molded floor of the molded structure that fills in the gap.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a die attach pad located between, and electrically isolated from, the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

wherein portions of the molded structure fill in gaps between the die attach pad and the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure; and

wherein the bottom surface of the semiconductor structure is mechanically attached by an adhesive to the die attach pad and to the portions of the molded structure that fill in the gaps.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a material that encapsulates the semiconductor structure and the first and second bond wires within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a further semiconductor structure that is also attached within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

wherein the material also encapsulates the further semiconductor structure within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure also formed by the molded structure; and

a further semiconductor structure within the second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a material that encapsulates the semiconductor structure and the first and second bond wires within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure, and that encapsulates the further semiconductor within the second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor structure is selected from the group consisting of:

an integrated circuit (IC);

a chip; and

a die.

9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light transmissive molding material that encapsulates the semiconductor structure and the first and second bond wires within the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure; and

wherein the molded structure that forms the pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure is molded of an opaque molding material.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the semiconductor structure includes an optical sensor that is adapted to produce a signal indicative of light incident on the optical sensor; and

at least one of the first and second bond wires provides the signal to at least one of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

11. The device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure also formed by the molded structure; and

a further semiconductor structure within the second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

wherein the further semiconductor structure includes a light emitting element; and

wherein the optical sensor and the light emitting element are optically isolated from one another by an opaque barrier wall that is formed by the molded structure and that separates the first and second pre-molded cavities of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the portion of the upper surface of each of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure, which is mechanically attached to the bottom surface of the semiconductor structure, is mechanically attached by an adhesive;

each of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure includes six faces;

the portion of the upper surface of each of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure, which is mechanically attached by the adhesive to the bottom surface of the semiconductor structure, is a portion of only one of the six faces of each of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure; and

none of the other five faces of the first and second lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure is in contact with the adhesive.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor structure includes a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-molded walls of the molded structure extend generally upward from and generally perpendicular to the pre-molded floor of the molded structure.

15. A packaged semiconductor device, comprising:

a pre-molded lead-frame structure including a group of lead-fingers; and

an opaque molded structure that forms a first pre-molded cavity and a second pre-molded cavity and is molded around portions of each of the lead-fingers of the group of lead-fingers to thereby mechanically attach each of the lead-fingers of the group of lead fingers to the portion of the molded structure the forms the first pre-molded cavity;

wherein the opaque molded structure includes pre-molded walls and a pre-molded floor that define the first and second pre-molded cavities; and

wherein an upper surface of the pre-molded floor is substantially coplanar with a portion of an upper surface of each of the lead-fingers of the group of lead-fingers;

a first semiconductor structure within the first pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure, the first semiconductor structure including a top surface and a bottom surface; and

bond wires that provide electrical connections between the first semiconductor structure and the lead-fingers of the group of lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

wherein a portion of the upper surface of each of the lead-fingers of the group of lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure is mechanically attached to the bottom surface of the first semiconductor structure to inhibit relative mechanical motion between the first semiconductor structure, the molded structure and each of the lead-fingers of the group of lead-fingers of the pre-molded lead-frame structure;

a second semiconductor structure within the second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure; and

a fill material that encapsulates the first semiconductor structure within the first pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure and encapsulates the second semiconductor structure within the second pre-molded cavity of the pre-molded lead-frame structure.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein:

the first semiconductor structure comprises at least one light detecting element; and

the second semiconductor structure comprises at least one light emitting element.