Integrated circuit (“IC”) assembly includes an IC die with a top metallization layer and a conductive epoxy layer applied to the top metallization layer

1. An integrated circuit (“IC”) assembly comprising:

an IC die having a top metallization layer on a first surface thereof;

a plurality of lead wires having first ends and second ends, said first ends being ball bonded to said top metallization layer; and

a contiguous conductive epoxy layer applied to said top metallization layer and covering said first ends of said plurality of lead wires to reduce spreading resistance in said top metallization layer.

2. The IC assembly of claim 1 further comprising a leadframe comprising a die pad portion and a plurality of lead portions; said IC die having a second surface opposite said first surface, said second surface mounted on said die pad portion, said second ends of said plurality of lead wires being bonded to at least one of said plurality of lead portions.

3. The IC assembly of claim 2 further comprising a mold layer covering said die and said lead wires and a portion of said leadframe.

4. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said leadframe comprises a copper leadframe.

5. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said top metallization layer includes a copper metallization layer or an aluminum metallization layer.

6. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said top metallization layer has a thickness of less than about 3 μm.

7. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lead wires include a material selected from a group consisting of gold, aluminum, copper, or combinations thereof.

8. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lead wires comprise a diameter of less than about 20 mils.

9. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said leadframe comprises a thickness of between about 6 mils and about 10 mils.

10. The IC assembly of claim 1 wherein said contiguous conductive epoxy layer includes a silver epoxy layer.

11. The IC assembly of claim 2 wherein said IC die assembly is a PQFN package and wherein said plurality of lead portions includes a power lead portion mounted on a power bar portion of said leadframe and wherein said second ends of said lead wires are electrically connected to said power lead portions.

12. The IC assembly of claim 11 wherein said contiguous conductive epoxy layer includes a silver epoxy layer.

13. A method of attaching an integrated circuit (“IC”) die to external circuitry comprising:

bonding first ends of a plurality of lead wires to a top metallization layer on a top side of the IC die; and

covering the bonded first ends of the plurality of lead wires and at least a portion of the metallization layer with a contiguous layer of conductive epoxy material to reduce spreading resistance in the metallization layer.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising bonding second ends of the lead wires to a plurality of lead portions of a leadframe.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising attaching a bottom side of the IC die to a die pad portion of the leadframe.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising covering the IC die and the bond wires and a portion of the leadframe with a layer of mold material.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said covering the IC die and the bond wires and a portion of the leadframe with a layer of mold material comprises exposing end portions of the plurality of lead portions and a bottom surface of the die pad portion through the mold layer.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the contiguous layer of conductive epoxy material includes a layer of silver epoxy.

19. A power quad flat no-lead (“PQFN”) package comprising:

a leadframe comprising a die pad portion and at least one lead portion integrally formed with said die pad portion;

an integrated circuit (“IC”) die having a bottom surface and a top surface opposite said bottom surface, said bottom surface of said IC die being mounted on said die pad portion, said top surface of said IC die having a top metallization layer;

a plurality of lead wires each having a first end and a second end, said first ends being ball bonded to said top metallization layer, said second ends being wedge bonded to said at least one lead portion;

a contiguous conductive epoxy layer applied to said top metallization layer and covering said first ends of said plurality of lead wires to reduce spreading resistance in the top metallization layer; and

a layer of mold material covering said IC die and said lead wires and a portion of said leadframe and exposing an end portion of said at least one lead portion and a bottom surface of said die pad portion.

20. The PQFN package of claim 19 wherein said contiguous conductive epoxy layer includes a silver epoxy.