Apparatus And Method For Producing An Article By Means Of A Molding Technique
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsEdward Fuergut, Hai Loh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To avoid air pockets (voids), for example when embedding semiconductor devices (15) in a plastic package molding compound, process parameters in transfer and compression molding are to be contemporaneously controlled. For this purpose, the tendency for voids to form is observed on the basis of test structures in control cavities (7), which form outwardly directed continuations of the mold cavity (3) of a capillary nature.
Claims38
An apparatus for producing an article or a number of articles from a thermoplastic or thermosetting material by means of transfer molding comprising:
- a mold with walls which enclose at least one mold cavity and,
- for the or each mold cavity, a gate for introducing the thermoplastic or thermosetting material into the mold cavity, wherein the mold has control cavities, which form outwardly directed continuations of the or each mold cavity of a capillary nature.
An apparatus for producing an article or a number of articles from a thermoplastic or thermosetting material by means of compression molding, comprising:
- a mold with walls which enclose at least one mold cavity, wherein the mold has control cavities, which form outwardly directed continuations of the or each mold cavity of a capillary nature.
A method for producing an article or a number of articles from a thermoplastic or thermosetting material by means of transfer molding which has the following steps:
- providing a mold with walls which enclose at least one mold cavity with the shape and dimensions of the article to be produced, and with control cavities, which form outwardly directed continuations of the mold cavity of a capillary nature;
- providing a thermoplastic or thermosetting material in a softened state;
- introducing the thermoplastic or thermosetting material into the mold cavity and into the control cavities through a gate, thereby forming test structures in the control cavities(7;
- measuring the pressure inside the mold cavity and filling the mold cavity with thermoplastic or thermosetting material until a predetermined pressure that indicates adequate filling of the mold cavity is reached;
- curing the thermoplastic or thermosetting material, and
- testing the test structures for air pockets.
A method for producing an article or a number of articles from a thermoplastic or thermosetting material by means of compression molding which has the following steps:
- providing a mold with walls which enclose at least one mold cavity with substantially the shape and dimensions of the article to be produced, and with control cavities, which form continuations of the mold cavity of a capillary nature;
- providing a thermoplastic or thermosetting material in a softened state;
- introducing the thermoplastic or thermosetting material into the opened mold, thereby forming test structures in the control cavities (7;
- closing the mold;
- curing the thermoplastic or thermosetting material and testing the test structures for air pockets.
A semiconductor device with a plastic package, produced by a method with the following steps:
- providing a semiconductor device to be embedded in a plastic package;
- introducing the semiconductor device into a mold cavity of a mold, the mold having control cavities, which form outwardly directed continuations of the mold cavity of a capillary nature;
- filling the mold cavity with a thermoplastic or thermosetting material, thereby encapsulating the semiconductor device with a plastic package and forming test structures in the control cavities;
- removing the semiconductor device from the mold;
- testing the test structures for the presence of air pockets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.