Process for making a plastic-encapsulated semiconductor device

Claim 2

In a process for fabricating a semiconductor device, the steps of: frictionally but releasably gripping a plurality of lead wires in a one-piece carrier block of resilient material so as to be retained thereby with the ends of the lead wires cantilevered out from the carrier block, mounting a semiconductor wafer on the cantilevered end of one of the lead wires and electrically connecting the wafer to the cantilevered ends of the other lead wires, encapsulating the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer and the electrical connections in a plastic material to seal the wafer in a stabilizing environment and mechanically rigidify the device, and removing the lead wires from the resilient carrier block.

Claim 3

The process defined in claim 1 wherein the lead wires are frictionally but releasably gripped in the resilient carrier block by forcing the respective lead wires into corresponding elongated grooves formed in the resilient carrier block and having smaller cross-sectional dimensions as compared thereto, and the lead wires are subsequently removed from the resilient carrier block by forcing the lead wires out of the elongated grooves of smaller cross-sectional dimensions.

Claim 4

The process defined in claim 2 wherein the lead wires are frictionally but releasably gripped in a plurality of parallel grooves formed in the top surface of the carrier block.

Claim 5

The process defined in claim 3 wherein the lead wires are oriented in substantially the same plane.

Claim 6

The process defined in claim 3 wherein there are three lead wires and the center lead wire is disposed above the two outer lead wires.

Claim 7

The process defined in claim 1 wherein the lead wires are frictionally but releasably gripped in the resilient carrier block by inserting the respective lead wires into corresponding elongated bores extending through the carrier block to pass the cantilevered ends of the lead wires out from the carrier block, and frictionally gripping the ends of the lead wires remote from the cantilevered ends thereof at one end of each bore in the resilient carrier block.

Claim 8

The process defined in claim 6 wherein each of the lead wires is partially deformed to form a key portion, and the carrier block is adapted to frictionally grip and retain the key portion of each lead wire.

Claim 9

In a process for fabricating a semiconductor device, the steps of: partially deforming each of a plurality of lead wires to form a key portion by flattening an end of each lead wire, frictionally securing said plurality of lead wires in respective bores extending through a carrier block with the ends of the lead wires remote from the flattened end key portions thereof being cantilevered out from the carrier block, one end of each bore in the carrier block being conformed to frictionally engage and retain the flattened end key portion of each lead wire, each lead wire being inserted in the respective bore corresponding thereto by passing the cantilevered end of the lead wire through the conformed end of the bore until the flattened end key portion of the lead wire is secured in the conformed end of the bore with the cantilevered end projecting from the carrier block, mounting a semiconductor wafer on the cantilevered end of one of the lead wires and electrically connecting the wafer to the cantilevered ends of the other lead wires, encapsulating the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer and the electrical connections in a plastic material to seal the wafer in a stabIlizing environment and mechanically rigidify the device, and removing the lead wires from the carrier block by pushing the lead wires back through the bores, cutting the flattened end key portions from the lead wires, and then pulling the lead wires through the bores.

Claim 10

In a process for fabricating a semiconductor device, the steps of: partially deforming each of a plurality of lead wires to form a key portion by flattening an end of each lead wire, frictionally securing said plurality of lead wires in respective bores extending through a carrier block with the ends of the lead wires remote from the flattened end key portions thereof being cantilevered out from the carrier block, one end of each bore in the carrier block being conformed to frictionally engage and retain the flattened end key portion of each lead wire, each lead wire being inserted in the respective bore corresponding thereto by passing the cantilevered end of the lead wire through the conformed end of the bore until the flattened end key portion of the lead wire is secured in the conformed end of the bore with the cantilevered end projecting from the carrier block, mounting a semiconductor wafer on the cantilevered end of one of the lead wires and electrically connecting the wafer to the cantilevered ends of the other lead wires, encapsulating the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer and the electrical connections in a plastic material to seal the wafer in a stabIlizing environment and mechanically rigidify the device, and removing the lead wires from the carrier block by pushing the lead wires back through the bores, cutting the flattened end key portions from the lead wires, and then pulling the lead wires through the bores.

Claim 11

In a process for fabricating plastic encapsulated semiconductor devices, the steps of: frictionally securing a plurality of lead wires in each of a plurality of carrier block assemblies with the ends of the lead wires freely extending in a cantilevered manner from the respective carrier block assemblies, mounting a semiconductor wafer on the cantilevered end of one of the lead wires secured in each of said carrier block assemblies and electrically connecting the wafer to the cantilevered ends of the other lead wires secured in the respective carrier block assembly, locating said plurality of carrier block assemblies in side-by-side relationship in two parallel rows on opposite sides of an elongated mold passageway and in juxtaposition with individual mold cavities respectively disposed between each of said carrier block assemblies of each of said two parallel rows and the elongated mold passageway and in communication therewith so that the individual mold cavities receive the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer, and the electrical connections extending from the respective carrier block assemblies corresponding thereto, encapsulating in plastic the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer, and the electrical connections for each of the carrier block assemblies by dispensing a fluid thermosetting plastic through the elongated mold passageway and into each of the individual mold cavities for each row of carrier block assemblies, and removing the lead wires from each of the carrier block assemblies, thereby providing a plurality of individual semiconductor devices.

Claim 12

In a process for fabricating plastic encapsulated semiconductor devices, the steps of: frictionally securing a plurality of lead wires in each of a plurality of carrier block assemblies with the ends of the lead wires freely extending in a cantilevered manner from the respective carrier block assemblies, mounting a semiconductor wafer on the cantilevered end of one of the lead wires secured in each of said carrier block assemblies and electrically connecting the wafer to the cantilevered ends of the other lead wires secured in the respective carrier block assembly, locating said plurality of carrier block assemblies in side-by-side relationship in two parallel rows on opposite sides of an elongated mold passageway and in juxtaposition with individual mold cavities respectively disposed between each of said carrier block assemblies of each of said two parallel rows and the elongated mold passageway and in communication therewith so that the individual mold cavities receive the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer, and the electrical connections extending from the respective carrier block assemblies corresponding thereto, encapsulating in plastic the cantilevered ends of the lead wires, the wafer, and the electrical connections for each of the carrier block assemblies by dispensing a fluid thermosetting plastic through the elongated mold passageway and into each of the individual mold cavities for each row of carrier block assemblies, and removing the lead wires from each of the carrier block assemblies, thereby providing a plurality of individual semiconductor devices.