Two-stage transfer molding device to encapsulate MMC module

A method for fabricating a card having a substrate having a circuit side and a back side, said substrate generally separated from a surrounding frame by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said substrate and said frame, said substrate having at least one electrical circuit and at least one connector for communicating between said at least one electrical circuit and an external circuit, comprising:

• clamping said substrate and said frame between a first plate and a second plate of a first molding assembly forming a first mold cavity for injecting a first material into said first mold cavity for molding a first plastic casting onto said circuit side of said substrate and encapsulating said at least one electrical circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side free of said first material, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface and clamping said frame, substrate and first plastic casting between a first plate and a second plate of a second molding assembly, at least a portion of said exposed surface of said first plastic casting compressed for sealingly engaging a portion of said back side of said substrate against said first plate of said second molding assembly, said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly forming a second mold cavity for injecting a second material into said second mold cavity for molding a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing the peripheral portion of circuit side and an edge of said substrate, second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge;
• and
• singulating said substrate from said frame.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor card having a substrate having at least one circuit formed thereon and at least one connector from a a plurality of spaced-apart substrates in strip form, said strip having a plurality of peripheral openings defining said substrates and a plurality of connecting segments attaching said substrates to said strip, said method comprising:

• mounting a card circuit on each substrate of said plurality of spaced-apart substrates, each card circuit comprising at least one semiconductor component and apparatus for communication between each said card circuit and an external circuit;
• molding first plastic castings to said substrates using a first molding assembly comprising a plurality of mold cavities for forming a first plastic casting over each circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of each substrate uncovered and molding second plastic castings encapsulating said peripheral portions of said substrates;
• removing said strip from said second molding assembly;
• and
• severing said connecting segments to singulate individual semiconductor cards from said strip.

A method of fabricating a card having a circuit side and a back side, said substrate generally separated from a surrounding frame by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said substrate and said frame, said substrate having an electrical circuit and at least one external connector for communicating between said electrical circuit and an external circuit, said method comprising:

• placing said substrate and frame in a first molding assembly for injecting a first material into a first mold cavity formed by first and second plates to mold a first plastic casting onto said circuit side of said substrate and to encapsulate said electrical circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side uncovered, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface;
• removing said frame, substrate and first plastic casting from said first molding assembly;
• placing said frame, substrate and first plastic casting between first and second plates of a second molding assembly, said exposed surface of said first plastic casting compressed for sealingly engaging said back side of said substrate against one of said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly for injecting a second material into a second mold cavity of said second molding assembly to mold a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing said uncovered peripheral portion and an edge of said substrate, said second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge;
• and
• removing said frame, substrate and first and second plastic castings from said second molding assembly.

A method for fabricating a card comprising:

• providing a substrate having a circuit side and a back side, said substrate having a first portion thereof having a peripheral edge separated from a second portion of said substrate by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said first portion of said substrate and said second portion of said substrate;
• placing said substrate between a first plate and a second plate of a first molding assembly, said first plate and said second plate forming a first mold cavity for injecting a first material into said first mold cavity for molding a first plastic casting onto at least a portion of said circuit side of the substrate and leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side free of said first material, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface;
• and
• placing said second portion of said substrate and said first plastic casting between a first plate and a second plate of a second molding assembly with at least a portion of said back side of said substrate engaging a portion of said first plate of said second molding assembly, said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly forming a second mold cavity for injecting a second material into said second mold cavity for molding a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing said peripheral edge of said first portion of said substrate, said second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge.

A method for fabricating a card in a first molding assembly having a first plate and a second plate forming a first mold cavity and a second molding assembly having a first plate and a second plate forming a second mold cavity, said card having a substrate having a circuit side and a back side, said substrate generally separated from a surrounding frame by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said substrate and said frame, said substrate having at least one electrical circuit and at least one connector for communicating between said at least one electrical circuit and an external circuit, comprising:

• placing said substrate and said frame between said first plate and said second plate of said first molding assembly for engaging at least portions of said first plate and at least portions of said second plate of said first molding assembly with at least portions of said substrate and said frame for injecting a first material into said first mold cavity for molding a first plastic casting onto said circuit side of said substrate and encapsulating said at least one electrical circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side free of said first material, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface;
• placing said frame, substrate and first plastic casting between said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly, at least a portion of said exposed surface of said first plastic casting compressed for sealingly engaging a portion of said back side of said substrate against said first plate of said second molding assembly for injecting a second material into said second mold cavity for molding a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing said peripheral portion of circuit side and an edge of said substrate, said second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge;
• and
• singulating said substrate from said frame.

A method for fabricating a plurality of semiconductor cards using a plurality of substrates in strip form having a plurality of spaced-apart substrates, said strip comprising a plurality of peripheral openings defining said substrates and a plurality of connecting segments attaching said substrates to said strip, each substrate of said plurality having at least one circuit thereon and at least one connector, said method comprising:

• mounting a card circuit on each substrate of said plurality, each card circuit comprising at least one semiconductor component and apparatus for communication between each said card circuit and an external circuit;
• molding first plastic castings to said substrates using a first molding assembly comprising a plurality of mold cavities for forming a first plastic casting over each card circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of each substrate uncovered;
• molding second plastic castings to said substrates using a second molding assembly comprising a plurality of mold cavities for forming a second plastic casting encapsulating said peripheral portions of said substrates;
• and
• forming singulated individual semiconductor cards from said strip.

A method of fabricating a card in a first molding assembly and a second molding assembly, said card having a circuit side, a back side, and a substrate generally separated from a surrounding frame by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said substrate and said frame, said substrate having an electrical circuit and at least one external connector for communicating between said electrical circuit and an external circuit, said method comprising:

• placing said substrate and frame between first and second plates of said first molding assembly for engaging at least portions of said substrate and frame with at least portions of said first molding assembly for injecting a first material into a first mold cavity formed by said first and second plates to mold a first plastic casting onto a circuit side of said substrate and encapsulate said electrical circuit while leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side uncovered, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface;
• placing said frame, substrate and first plastic casting between first and second plates of said second molding assembly, said exposed surface of said first plastic casting compressed for sealingly engaging a back side of said substrate against one of said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly for injecting a second material into a second mold cavity of said second molding assembly to mold a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing said uncovered peripheral portion and an edge of said substrate, said second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge;
• and
• removing said frame, substrate and first and second plastic castings from said first molding assembly and said second molding assembly when molding is finished in the first molding assembly and the second molding assembly.

A method for fabricating a card having a substrate having a circuit side and a back side, said substrate having a first portion thereof having a peripheral edge separated from a second portion of said substrate by a peripheral opening spanned by at least one connecting segment between said first portion of said substrate and said second portion of said substrate in a first molding assembly and a second molding assembly comprising:

• placing said substrate between a first plate and a second plate of said first molding assembly, said first plate and said second plate forming a first mold cavity for engaging at least a portion of said substrate by portions of said first plate and portions of said second plate for injecting a first material into said first mold cavity for molding a first plastic casting onto at least a portion of said circuit side of said substrate and leaving a peripheral portion of said circuit side free of said first material, said first plastic casting having an exposed surface;
• and
• placing said second portion of said substrate and said first plastic casting between a first plate and a second plate of said second molding assembly with at least a portion of said back side of said substrate engaging a portion of said first plate of said second molding assembly, said first plate and said second plate of said second molding assembly forming a second mold cavity for injecting a second material into said second mold cavity for molding a second plastic casting surrounding said first plastic casting and enclosing said peripheral edge of said first portion of said substrate, said second plastic casting having a peripheral outer edge.