Package having a plurality of mounting orientations

• US 7,968,807 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Spooner, Timothy R., Kuan, Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi; Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOA CAO
• Application Number:
  US11/780,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,439 Days
• Field of Search: 174/50, 174/50.5, 174 5051- 5054, 174/50.59, 174/520, 174/521, 174527-529, 174534-542, 174/549, 174/551, 174/557, 361/670.01, 361728-733, 361/735, 361/748, 361/752, 361784-786, 361/788, 361790-792, 361/796, 361/803, 361/813, 257/669, 257/666, 257/E33.066, 257/E23.045, 257/E23.031, 257/E23.042, 257/E23.043, 257/E23.049, 257/E23.05, 257/E23.052, 257/E23.06, 257/E23.066, 257/E23.141
• US Class Current: 174/529
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/04 characterised by the shape of the container or parts, e.g. caps, walls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49861 Lead-frames fixed on or encapsulated in insulating substrates H01L23/4985, H01L23/49805 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base

Abstract

A package apparatus has a base coupled with a lid to form a leadframe package. The package has first and second exterior surfaces with respective first and second contact patterns. The first and second contact patterns are substantially electrically identical to permit the package to be either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.

Claims

1. A package apparatus comprising:

a base;

a lid coupled with the base forming a leadframe package, the leadframe package forming a first exterior surface having a first surface area, and a second exterior surface having a second surface area less than the first surface area,

the first exterior surface forming a first contact pattern,

the first exterior surface being in a first plane that intersects the plane of the second exterior surface,

the first exterior surface characterized by a bisecting plane, the bisecting plane normal to the first plane and dividing the first exterior surface into two substantially equal, rectangular portions,

the second exterior surface forming a second contact pattern; and

a plurality of metal conductors coupling a plurality of contacts in the first contact pattern to a corresponding plurality of contacts in the second contact pattern, and the plurality of metal conductors crossing the bisecting plane, such that the first and second contact patterns are substantially electrically identical to permit the package to be either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.

2. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the base and lid form a premolded leadframe package.

3. The apparatus as defined by claim 2 wherein the base and lid form a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit.

4. The apparatus as defined by claim 3, further comprising an integrated circuit mounted within the chamber, the integrated circuit being substantially identically electrically connected with the first contact pattern and the second contact pattern.

5. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the lid and base comprise a moldable material, the first contact pattern comprising a first plurality of contacts substantially embedded within the moldable material of at least one of the lid and base, the second contact pattern comprising a second plurality of contacts substantially embedded within the moldable material of at least one of the lid and base.

6. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the plurality of metal conductors comprise metal conductors in the lid.

7. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the first exterior surface is substantially orthogonal to the second exterior surface.

8. The apparatus as defined by claim 1 wherein the first exterior surface is adjacent to the second exterior surface.

9. The apparatus as defined by claim 1, further comprising:

an integrated circuit chip within the package apparatus, the integrated circuit chip having;

a first chip surface, the first chip surface having a first chip surface area;

a second chip surface opposite the first surface; and

a plurality of side surfaces between the first chip surface and the second chip surface, each of the side surfaces having a surface area less than the first chip surface area,

the first chip surface substantially parallel to the first exterior surface.

10. The apparatus as defined by claim 9, wherein the integrated circuit chip further comprises a plurality of chip contact pads, each of the plurality of chip contact pads electrically connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of conductors.

11. The apparatus as defined by claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductors couple more than half of the contacts in the first contact pattern to corresponding contacts in the second contact pattern.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a base; and

a lid coupled with the base to form a package having at least one leadframe,

the base and lid forming a plurality of exterior surfaces, including a first exterior surface having a first surface area, and a second exterior surface having a second surface area smaller than the first surface area,

the first exterior surface being orthogonal to the second exterior surface,

the first exterior surface characterized by a bisecting plane normal to the first exterior surface and dividing the first exterior surface into two substantially equal rectangular portions,

the at least one leadframe forming a first contact means on the first exterior surface, the at least one leadframe forming a second contact means on the second exterior surface, and the at least one leadframe comprising a plurality of metal conductors, the plurality of metal conductors crossing the bisecting plane and coupling the first contact means to the second contact means;

the first contact means and second contact means being substantially electrically identical to permit the package to be either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.

13. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the first contact means comprises a plurality of contacts.

14. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 further comprising an electrical interconnect apparatus coupled with no more than one of the first contact means or the second contact means.

15. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the package is a premolded leadframe package.

16. The apparatus as defined by claim 15 wherein the base and lid form a chamber for receiving an integrated circuit.

17. The apparatus as defined by claim 16 further comprising an integrated circuit mounted within the chamber, the largest surface of the integrated circuit parallel to the first plane.

18. The apparatus as defined by claim 12 wherein the lid comprises a leadframe encapsulated in moldable material.

19. A package apparatus comprising:

a base, and

a lid coupled with the base forming a package,

the package forming a first exterior surface having a first surface area, and a second exterior surface having a first surface area,

the first exterior surface comprising a first plurality of contacts forming a first contact pattern, the first exterior surface characterized by a bisecting plane normal to the first exterior surface and dividing the first exterior surface into two substantially equal portions,

the second exterior surface comprising a second plurality of contacts forming a second contact pattern, the first exterior surface being in a plane that intersects the plane of the second exterior surface; and

characterized by a bisecting plane normal to the plane of first exterior surface and dividing the first exterior surface into two substantially equal portions; and

a plurality of metal conductors coupling contacts in the first contact pattern to contacts in the second contact pattern, and each of the plurality of conductors crossing the bisecting plane,

the first and second contact patterns being substantially electrically identical to permit the package to be either vertically or horizontally mounted to an underlying apparatus.