Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
Method to make a metallic carrier for semiconductor elements and to form attachment terminals for lead wires for connection to the semiconductor structure comprising forming a metal substrate with contact fingers; screen printing on at least one contact finger of the metal substrate at discrete bonding positions thereon, a paste comprising a bonding metal in finely distributed form in an organic evaporative carrier; heat treating said substrate with said printed paste thereon to eliminate said carrier; and further heat treating the remainder of said paste from which the carrier was eliminated, and the substrate, at a temperature sufficiently high to effect diffusion of said bonding metal with the contact finger of said substrate to form an electrical and mechanical bond in form of a diffusion zone and to convert the bonding layer material of said discrete positions to a spongy, microporous structure.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
Method to make a metallic carrier for semiconductor elements and to form attachment terminals for lead wires for connection to the semiconductor structure comprising forming a metal substrate with contact fingers; screen printing on at least one contact finger of the metal substrate at discrete bonding positions thereon, a paste comprising a bonding metal in finely distributed form in an organic evaporative carrier; heat treating said substrate with said printed paste thereon to eliminate said carrier; and further heat treating the remainder of said paste from which the carrier was eliminated, and the substrate, at a temperature sufficiently high to effect diffusion of said bonding metal with the contact finger of said substrate to form an electrical and mechanical bond in form of a diffusion zone and to convert the bonding layer material of said discrete positions to a spongy, microporous structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein said bonding metal is gold having an average particle size of less than 5 micrometers, dissolved in an organic solvent; said first heat-treating step comprises heating the substrats, with said gold paste printed thereon, to a temperature of about 400° C to dry the paste and to eliminate the organic carrier; and thereafter heat-treating the substrate and the heat-treated carrier at a temperature of about 650° C, for a time sufficient to effect diffusion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Method according to claim 2, wherein said second heat-treating step, to effect diffusion, is carried out in a reducing atmosphere.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
Method according to claim 2, wherein said second heat treatment step is carried out for a time, and at a temperature, sufficient to sinter the gold particles of the gold paste to a microporous layer of spongy structure having a thickness of between 3 to 10 micrometers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
Method according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is supplied in form of a ribbon or tape, and the step of forming the contact fingers comprises punching the tape with the bonding layer applied to discrete positions or zones on said tape, only, after said final heating step, to form a lead frame.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein the material of the bonding layer comprises an alloy of at least two of the metals selected from the group consisting of gold, palladium, silver, aluminum and copper.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein the material of the bonding layer comprises a base alloy of a metal selected from at least one of the group consisting of gold, palladium, silver, aluminum and copper.