Shielded QFN package and method of making

A method of manufacturing a plurality of semiconductor devices in a QFN half-etched lead frame array that includes a plurality of sub-structures, the semiconductor devices having radio-frequency (RF) shields, the method comprising:

• configuring the QFN half-etched lead frame array with grounding pads at each corner of the plurality of sub-structures and connecting these grounding pads to a die-attach region of each sub-structure;
• mounting a device die on each die-attach region and assembling the device die on each sub-structure of the QFN half-etched lead frame array;
• encapsulating the device die in a molding compound;
• drilling through-holes in the molding compound in locations corresponding to the grounding pads at each corner, the drilling proceeding until surfaces of the grounding pads are exposed, thereby defining through-hole positions;
• and
• sputtering metal onto the encapsulated device, whereby the sputtered metal plates vertical surfaces of the through-holes as the sputtered metal covers the molding compound and electrically connects to the grounding pads via the plated vertical surfaces of the through-holes at the through-hole positions.