Electrically enhanced wirebond package
View Patent ↗Consistent with an example embodiment, there is an integrated circuit (IC) device in a packaging having electrically insulated connections. The IC device comprises a semiconductor device ( 100 ) mounted onto a die attachment area ( 10 ); the semiconductor device has a plurality of bonding pads ( 20 a, 25 a, 30 a, 35 a ). A lead frame having a plurality of bonding fingers ( 20 b, 25 b, 30 b, 35 b ) surrounds the die attachment area. A plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors ( 25 d, 30 d, 40, 50 ) having respective first ends are attached to respective bonding pads on the semiconductor device and the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors having respective second respective second ends are attached to respective bonding fingers of the lead frame. An insulating material ( 45 ) coats at least a portion of the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors. The mutually isolated connection conductors may include a bond wire ( 40, 50 ) for the signal connection and a conductive strap ( 25 d, 30 d ) for the voltage reference connection. The insulating material ( 45 ) coating the bond wires reduces the likelihood of short circuits during encapsulation.
1. An integrated circuit (IC) device in packaging having electrically insulated connections, comprising:
a semiconductor device mounted onto an attachment area, the semiconductor device having a plurality of bonding pads;
a lead frame surrounding the die attachment area, the lead frame having a plurality of bonding fingers;
a plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors having respective first ends attached to respective bonding pads on the semiconductor device and having respective second respective second ends attached to respective bonding fingers of the lead frame, wherein the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors includes a bond wire coated with an insulating coating and a conductive strap surrounded by a dam of insulating material such that the dam of insulating material separates the conductive strap from the bond wire.
2. The IC device as recited in claim 1 , further including a passivation envelope encapsulating the semiconductor device, mutually isolated connection conductors, and bonding fingers of the lead frame.
3. The IC device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors are of two types: a signal connection and a voltage reference connection.
4. The IC device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the signal connection is a bond wire coated with an insulating coating.
5. The IC device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the voltage reference connection is a conductive strap surrounded by dams of insulating material.
6. The IC device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the conductive strap is at least one of the following: copper, aluminum, gold, silver, nickel, solder, plastic with conductive filler.
7. An integrated circuit (IC) device in a BGA package substrate, the BGA package substrate having electrically insulated connections, comprising:
a semiconductor device mounted onto an attachment area, the semiconductor device having bonding pads, wherein the bonding pads includes a first bonding pad encapsulated by a first insulating material and a second bonding pad unencapsulated by the first insulating material;
bonding fingers surrounding the die attachment area;
a plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors having respective first ends attached to respective bonding pads on the semiconductor device and having respective second ends attached to respective bonding fingers, wherein the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors includes a first and second isolated connection conductors, wherein the first end of the first isolated connection conductor is attached to the first bonding pad encapsulated by the first insulating material and the first end of the second isolated connection conductor is attached to the bonding pad unencapsulated by the first insulating material, and
a second insulating material coating at least a portion of one of the first and second isolated connection conductors.
8. The IC device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of mutually isolated connection conductors are of two types: a signal connection and a voltage reference connection.
9. The IC device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the voltage reference connection is a conductive strap defined in the package substrate, the conductive strap surrounded by insulating material; and wherein the signal connection is a bond wire coated with an insulating material.
10. The IC device of claim 7 , further comprising a dam of insulating material positioned between the first and second isolated connection conductors to electrically isolate the first and second isolated connection conductors from each other.
11. The IC device of claim 10 , further comprising a passivation envelope over and encapsulating the first and second bonding pads and the first and second isolated connection conductors.
12. The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the first isolated connection conductor is a bond wire coated with the second insulating material and wherein the second isolated connection conductor is a conductive strap.
13. The IC device of claim 7 , further comprising a dam of insulating material positioned between the conductive strap and the bond wire to electrically isolate the conductive strap from the bond wire.
14. The IC device of claim 7 , wherein the second insulating material is different than the first insulating material.
15. An integrated circuit (IC) device in a package substrate, the package substrate having electrically insulated connections, comprising:
a semiconductor device mounted onto an attachment area, the semiconductor device having bonding pads;
bonding fingers surrounding the die attachment area;
signal connection conductors having respective first ends attached to respective bonding pads on the semiconductor device and having respective second ends attached to respective bonding fingers, wherein a number of the signal connection conductors are bond wires coated with a resilient insulating coating;
voltage reference conductors having respective first ends attached to respective bonding pads on the semiconductor device and having respective second ends attached to respective bonding finger, wherein a number of the voltage reference conductors are conductive straps surrounded by dams of insulating material; and
a passivation envelope encapsulating the semiconductor device, signal connection conductors, voltage reference conductors, and bonding fingers on the substrate.
16. The IC device as recited in claim 15 , wherein bond wires coated with the resilient insulating coating where attached at their respective first ends and second ends are sealed with additional resilient insulating coating.
17. The IC device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the package substrate is a ball grid array (BGA).
18. The IC device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the resilient coating of the bond wires is selected from at least one of the following: parylene, epoxy, or a polycarbonate.
19. The IC device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the insulating material of the dams is selected from at least one of the following: substrate material, solder mask.
20. The IC device as recited in claim 16 , wherein the conductive straps are of conductive material selected from at least one of the following: copper, gold, silver, aluminum, nickel, conductive polymer, plastics having conductive fillers of aluminum, copper, silver, nickel, and carbon nanotubes.