Methods for packaging image sensitive electronic devices

• US 20060051891A1
• Filed: 10/15/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chad A. Cobbley, Todd O. Bolken
• Original Assignee: Chad A. Cobbley, Todd O. Bolken
• Inventors: Cobbley, Chad A., Bolken, Todd O.
• Application Number:
  US11/250,906
• Publication Number:
  US 20060051891A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/106
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/484 Connecting portions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85399 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8592 Applying permanent coating, e.g. protective coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92 Specific sequence of method steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92247 the second connecting process involving a wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06506 Wire or wire-like electrical connections between devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06555 Geometry of the stack, e.g. form of the devices, geometry to facilitate stacking
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/293 Organic, e.g. plastic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 : Stacked arrangements of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14603 : Special geometry or disposition of pixel-elements, address-lines or gate-electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 : Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 : Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14683 : Processes or apparatus peculiar to the manufacture or treatment of these devices or parts thereof not peculiar thereto H01L21/00
• 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 2924/00011 : Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 : Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/01013 : Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15174 : in different layers of the multilayer substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 : being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 : Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 : Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0203 : Containers; Encapsulations , e.g. encapsulation of photodiodesfor photovoltaic devices H01L31/048; for organic photosensitive devices H10K30/80
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/924 : with passive device, e.g. capacitor, or battery, as integral part of housing or housing element, e.g. cap

Abstract

The invention provides methods for packaging for electronic devices that are light or other radiation-sensitive, such as image sensors including CCD or CMOS chips. In one embodiment of the invention, an image sensor package is assembled by surrounding a chip with a barrier of transfer mold compound and covering the chip with a transparent lid. In another embodiment of the invention, the perimeter area of a chip, including interconnections, is encapsulated with a liquid dispensed epoxy, and a transparent lid is attached. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a unitary shell of entirely transparent material is used. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a substrate-mounted chip and a transparent lid are loaded into a transfer mold that holds them in optimal alignment. The transfer mold is then filled with molding compound to encapsulate the chip and interconnections, and to retain the transparent lid.

Claims

1. A method for assembling a package containing an electronic device sensitive to light or other radiation comprising:

mounting said electronic device on a carrier substrate having at least one conductive trace thereon, said at least one conductive trace having a first end and a second end;

providing at least one electrical interconnection between said electronic device and said first end of said at least one conductive trace;

loading a transparent lid into a mold tooling element;

loading said carrier substrate with said electronic device and said at least one electrical interconnection into said mold tooling element so that a surface of said electronic device is aligned against said transparent lid;

filling said mold tooling element with molding compound;

forming a molded layer on said carrier substrate to encapsulate said at least one electrical interconnection and a perimeter of said electronic device; and

retaining said transparent lid with said molded layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

applying a layer of conformal film between an inside surface of said mold tooling element and said transparent lid prior to said filling said mold tooling element.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said electronic device to be an image sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising selecting said electronic device to comprise a solid-state device selected from a group consisting of a charge coupled device, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor and an erasable programmable read-only memory.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising fabricating said electronic device as a chip stack.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forming said carrier substrate of a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, FR-4 and BT.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

attaching at least one discrete conductive element to said second end of said at least one conductive trace of said carrier substrate.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of said packages, each containing an electronic device, are formed onto a single carrier substrate and further comprising:

dividing said single carrier substrate into separate pieces, each of said pieces comprising one of said packages.