Method and apparatus for manufacture and inspection of semiconductor device

An apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip connected with leads whose internal ends are interconnected with bonding wires is sealed in a resin while external ends of the leads are exposed outside of the resin, said apparatus comprising:

• a mold drive apparatus for driving the mold unit comprising a pair of split molds, a cavity for completely containing the semiconductor chip connected with the leads whose internal ends are interconnected with the bonding wires and for bridging the frame assembly, in which the semiconductor chip is mounted on a stage of a frame having lead stays supporting the leads in such a way that the internal ends of the leads are respectively interconnected with the bonding wires, by supporting the external ends of the leads on split surfaces of the split molds, and a chip fixing member, which is arranged in the split mold and is operated to be freely inserted into and extracted from the cavity, for when projected into the cavity, pressing the semiconductor chip to be temporarily fixed in position, as well as a resin injector for injecting the resin into the cavity,
• wherein said mold drive apparatus has mechanisms for controlling the mold unit to be opened or closed, for manipulating the chip fixing member to be inserted into or extracted from the cavity, for controlling injection of the resin into the cavity, and for controlling temperature and timing to drive the mold unit, and
• wherein after the frame assembly is set into the mold unit that is opened, the mold unit is closed and then the chip fixing member is projected into the cavity to temporarily fix the semiconductor chip in position, and the resin is injected into the cavity, and before completion of the injection of the resin into the cavity, the chip fixing member is retracted into the split mold, and after the completion of the injection of the resin, the resin is solidified in the cavity.

The apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip connected with leads whose internal ends are interconnected with bonding wires is sealed in a resin while external ends of the leads are exposed outside of the resin, said apparatus comprising:

• a mold drive apparatus for driving the mold unit comprising a pair of split molds, the cavity for completely containing the semiconductor chip connected with the leads whose internal ends are interconnected with the bonding wires and for bridging a frame assembly, in which the semiconductor chip is mounted on a stage of a frame having lead stays supporting the leads in such a way that the internal ends of the leads are respectively interconnected with the bonding wires, by supporting the external ends of the leads on split surfaces of the split molds, and at least one wire fixing member that is installed in the split mold and is freely inserted into and extracted from the cavity, wherein when projected into the cavity, the wire fixing member presses the bonding wire to be temporarily fixed in position,
• wherein said mold drive apparatus comprises a mechanism for manipulating the wire fixing member to be inserted into or extracted from the cavity, and
• wherein after the frame assembly is set into the mold unit that is opened, the mold unit is closed and then the wire fixing member is projected into the cavity and presses the bonding wire to be temporarily fixed in position, and before the cavity is completely filled with the resin, the wire fixing member is retracted into the split mold.

An inspection method for a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip connected with leads whose internal ends are interconnected with bonding wires is sealed in a resin corresponding to a package while external ends of the leads are exposed outside of the package, comprising the steps of:

• forming an electrode layer on an internal wall of a cavity of a mold unit, into which the resin is injected to form the package, wherein the electrode layer is arranged to be electrically insulated from each of the leads;
• detecting whether or not an electrical conduction is established between the electrode layer and each of the leads;
• and
• upon detection of the electrical conduction, recognizing that at least one bonding wire is exposed from the surface of the package in the semiconductor device molded in the cavity.

An inspection method for a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip connected with leads whose internal ends are interconnected with bonding wires is sealed in a resin corresponding to a package while external ends of the leads are exposed outside of the package, comprising the steps of:

• providing at least one detection bonding wire that is interconnected with at least one detection lead arranged for the semiconductor chip, wherein the detection boding wire has a curved top portion whose height is higher than heights of curved top portions of the other bonding wires in a cavity of a mold unit;
• forming an electrode layer on an interior wall of the cavity of the mold unit into which the resin is injected, wherein the electrode layer is electrically insulated from the detection lead and each of the other leads;
• detecting whether or not an electrical conduction is established between the electrode layer and the detection lead;
• and
• upon detection of the electrical conduction, recognizing that the curved top portions of the other bonding wires are abnormally approached to the surface of the package beyond a prescribed allowable limit value.

A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device in which a semiconductor chip connected with leads whose internal ends are inter connected with bonding wires is sealed in a resin corresponding to a package while external ends of the leads are exposed outside of the package, said manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

• performing a mold setup process in which a frame assembly comprising the semiconductor chip, which is mounted on a frame having eh leads in such a way that the semiconductor chip is interconnected with the internal ends of the leads by the bonding wires, is set into a cavity of a mold unit in such a way that the external ends of the leads are exposed outside while the internal ends of the leads and the bonding wires are bridged across the cavity;
• performing a resin filling process in which a resin for use in formation of a package is injected into the cavity;
• performing a resin fixation process in which the resin completely filling the cavity is subjected to solidification;
• and
• performing detection as to whether or not an electrical conduction is established between the lead and an electrode, which is formed on an interior surface of the cavity and is electrically insulated form the leads.