Electronic package having improved wire bonding capability

Claim 2

An electronic package base assembly, comprising: a substrate having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness bonded to said peripheral portion; and a rigid lead support adjacent said substrate and disposed between said polymer adhesive and said central portion, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperatures in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 3

The electronic package base assembly of claim 1 wherein said lead support is bonded to said substrate.

Claim 4

The electronic package base assembly of claim 1 wherein said lead support is unitary with said substrate and an electrically insulating layer is adjacent at least one surface of said lead support.

Claim 5

The electronic package base assembly of claim 2 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically insulating material.

Claim 6

The electronic package base assembly of claim 2 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically conductive material having an electrically insulating layer adjacent at least one surface.

Claim 7

The electronic package base assembly of claim 5 wherein said electrically insulating layer is a polymer adhesive.

Claim 8

The electronic package base assembly of claim 3 wherein both said substrate and said lead support are formed from copper, aluminum or an alloy thereof.

Claim 9

The electronic package base assembly of claim 7 wherein said electrically insulating layer is a polymer adhesive.

Claim 10

The electronic package base assembly of claim 8 wherein said electrically insulating layer is anodized aluminum.

Claim 11

An electronic package base, comprising: a substrate having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness bonded to said peripheral portion; and a rigid lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent said peripheral portion, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperatures in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 12

An electronic package base, comprising: a substrate having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness bonded to said peripheral portion; and a rigid lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent said peripheral portion, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperatures in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 13

The electronic package base of claim 10 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically insulating material.

Claim 14

An electronic package base comprising: a substrate having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness bonded to said peripheral portion; and an electrically insulating, rigid lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent to said peripheral portion, said lead support having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive and formed from a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum carbide, diamond, diamond-like materials, beryllia and low temperature co-fired substrates.

Claim 15

An electronic package base comprising: a substrate having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness bonded to said peripheral portion; and an electrically insulating, rigid lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent to said peripheral portion, said lead support having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive and formed from a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum carbide, diamond, diamond-like materials, beryllia and low temperature co-fired substrates.

Claim 16

The electronic package of claim 12 wherein conductive circuit traces are formed on said lead support.

Claim 17

The electronic package base of claim 10 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulating material is adjacent at least the peripheral portion of one surface.

Claim 18

An electronic package, comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each said lead bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and a rigid lead support disposed between said central portion and said polymer adhesive, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperature in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 19

An electronic package, comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each said lead bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and a rigid lead support disposed between said central portion and said polymer adhesive, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperature in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 20

The electronic package of claim 15 wherein said lead support is bonded to said base.

Claim 21

The electronic package of claim 15 wherein said lead support is unitary with said base and an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said lead support and said inner lead portion.

Claim 22

The electronic package of claim 16 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically insulating material.

Claim 23

The electronic package of claim 16 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said lead support and at least one of said base and said inner lead portion.

Claim 24

The electronic package of claim 17 wherein both said base and said lead support are formed from copper, aluminum or an alloy thereof.

Claim 25

The electronic package of claim 20 wherein said electrically insulating layer is anodized aluminum.

Claim 26

The electronic package of claim 15 further including a cover bonded to said second surface of said window frame.

Claim 27

The electronic package of claim 15 having a polymer potting compound filling the cavity defined by said base and said window frame.

Claim 28

An electronic package, comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each said lead bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and a lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent said peripheral portion, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperatures in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 29

An electronic package, comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each said lead bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and a lead support overlying said central portion and having a peripheral edge adjacent said peripheral portion, said lead support formed from a material selected from the group consisting of polymers that remain rigid at temperatures in excess of 240° C., ceramics and electrically isolated metallic materials and having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive.

Claim 30

The electronic package of claim 24 wherein said lead support is bonded to said base.

Claim 31

The electronic package of claim 24 wherein said lead support is unitary with said base and an electrically insulating layer is disposed between said lead support and said inner lead portion.

Claim 32

The electronic package of claim 25 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically insulating material.

Claim 33

An electronic package comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each of said leads bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and an electrically insulating lead support overlying and bonded to said central portion with a peripheral edge of said lead support being adjacent to said peripheral portion of said base, said lead support having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive and formed from a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum carbide, diamond, diamond-like materials, beryllia and low temperature cofired substrates.

Claim 34

An electronic package comprising: a base having a peripheral portion and a central portion; a window frame having first and second opposing surfaces; a leadframe having a plurality of leads disposed about a central aperture, said leadframe disposed between said base and said window frame, an intermediate portion of each of said leads bonded to both said first surface of said window frame and to said peripheral portion of said base by a polymer adhesive having a desired thickness; and an electrically insulating lead support overlying and bonded to said central portion with a peripheral edge of said lead support being adjacent to said peripheral portion of said base, said lead support having a height about equal to the thickness of said polymer adhesive and formed from a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum carbide, diamond, diamond-like materials, beryllia and low temperature cofired substrates.

Claim 35

The electronic package of claim 28 wherein conductive circuit traces are formed on said lead support and said leadframe is electrically interconnected to said circuit traces.

Claim 36

The electronic package base of claim 26 wherein said lead support is formed from an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulating material is disposed between said lead support and at least one of said base and said inner lead portion.

Claim 37

The electronic package of claim 30 wherein both said base and said lead support are formed from copper, aluminum or an alloy thereof.

Claim 38

The electronic package of claim 31 wherein said electrically insulating layer is anodized aluminum.

Claim 39

The electronic package of claim 24 further including a cover bonded to said second surface of said window frame.

Claim 40

The electronic package of claim 24 having a polymer potting compound filling the cavity defined by said base and said window frame.