# US 2008/0185582 A1 · Portable memory devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185582 A1 - Document ID: US20080185582A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/551,423 - Filed: 2006-10-20 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-20 - Assignees: SanDisk Technologies LLC - Inventors: Warren Middlekauff; Robert Miller; Charlie Centofante - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185582A1 ## CPC - H05K 3/28: Applying non-metallic protective coatings {(H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673)} - H05K 1/0268: {for electrical inspection or testing} - H10W 42/60: protecting against electrostatic charges or discharges, e.g. Faraday shields (integrated devices comprising arrangements for electrical protection H10D89/60) - H05K 1/0259: {Electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection} - H05K 1/117: {Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors} - H05K 3/284: {for encapsulating mounted components (H05K1/185 takes precedence)} - H05K 2201/099: Coating over pads, e.g. solder resist partly over pads - H05K 2203/013: Inkjet printing, e.g. for printing insulating material or resist - H05K 2203/161: Using chemical substances, e.g. colored or fluorescent, for facilitating optical or visual inspection - H10W 72/884: {Die-attach connectors and bond wires} - H10W 90/732: {between stacked chips} - H10W 90/734: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Improved techniques to produce integrated circuit products are disclosed. The improved techniques permit smaller and less costly production of integrated circuit products. One aspect of the invention concerns covering test contacts (e.g., test pins) provided with the integrated circuit products using printed ink. Once covered with the ink, the test contacts are no longer electrically exposed. Hence, the integrated circuit products are not susceptible to accidental access or electrostatic discharge. Moreover, the integrated circuit products can be efficiently produced in a small form factor without any need for additional packaging or labels to electrically isolate the test contacts. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A memory card, comprising: a circuit board having a front side and a back side, the front side including at least one die attach pad, and the back side including I/O contacts and test contacts; at least one semiconductor die attached to the front side of said circuit board, said at least one semiconductor die being electrically connected to the die attach pad of said circuit board; a molding compound to encapsulate said at least one semiconductor die and the front side of said circuit board; and an ink coating provided over the test contacts on the back side of said circuit board but not over the I/O contacts on the back side of said circuit board. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating is printed onto the test contacts on the back side of said circuit board. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating is printed onto the test contacts after the test contacts have been used to test said memory card. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating is printed onto a region around about the test contacts after the test contacts have been used to test said memory card. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A memory card as recited in claim 4, wherein said ink coating printed onto the region has rounded edges. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating isolates the test contacts from any external electrical coupling. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating protects the test contacts from electrostatic discharge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein the back side of said circuit board is of a first color, and wherein the ink utilized for said ink coating is of the first color. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating protects the test contacts from electrostatic discharge, and wherein said ink coating is provided in a plurality of different colors to provide one or more markings on said memory card. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A memory card as recited in claim 9, wherein the marking includes one or more of a logo, a product name, or a trade designation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A memory card as recited in claim 1, wherein said ink coating uses an ink that is UV curable. ### Claim 12 An electronic system, comprising: a data acquisition device; and a data storage device removably coupled to said data acquisition device, said data storage device storing data acquired by said data acquisition device, and said data storage device including at least: a circuit board having a first side and a second side, the first side including die attach pads, and the second side including I/O contacts and test contacts; at least one semiconductor die attached to the first side of said circuit board, said at least one semiconductor die being electrically connected to the die attach pads of said circuit board; a molding compound to encapsulate said at least one semiconductor die and the first side of said circuit board; and an ink coating provided over the test contacts on the second side of said circuit board but not over the I/O contacts on the second side of said circuit board. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) An electronic system as recited in claim 12, wherein said at least one semiconductor die includes a memory array including a plurality of data storage elements. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) An electronic system as recited in claim 12, wherein said data storage device is a portable data storage device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) An electronic system as recited in claim 12, wherein said data storage device is a portable memory card. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An electronic system as recited in claim 15, wherein the data storage elements are non-volatile memory elements. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) An electronic system as recited in claim 15, wherein said data acquisition device is a consumer electronic device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An electronic system as recited in claim 17, wherein the consumer electronic device is one of a camera, a network card or appliance, a hand-held or notebook computer, a set-top box, a hand-held or other small media device, and a medical monitor. ### Claim 19 An integrated circuit product produced in a batch by operations that include at least: providing a multi-instance leadframe or substrate having a plurality of instances, each of the instances of the leadframe or substrate having test contacts and input/output (I/O) contacts; attaching one or more dies to each of the instances on at least one side of the multi-instance leadframe or substrate; electrically connecting each of the one or more dies to the respective instance of the leadframe or substrate; thereafter encapsulating together the plurality of instances on the at least one side of the multi-instance leadframe or substrate with a molding compound, wherein the test contacts and the I/O contacts remain exposed; subsequently singulating each of the plurality of instances; testing each of the plurality of instances using the exposed test contacts; and printing ink over the exposed test contacts on the plurality of instances, whereby at least one of the plurality of instances being produced by said operations is said integrated circuit product. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 19, wherein said operations further comprises: curing the ink that has been printed over the test contacts. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 20, wherein said curing comprises: exposing the ink that has been printed to ultraviolet radiation; and subsequently heating the ink. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 19, wherein said printing of the ink is performed with a plurality different colored inks. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 19, wherein said printing is performed with an ink jet delivery. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 19, wherein the integrated circuit product is a memory card. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) An integrated circuit product as recited in claim 19, wherein the integrated circuit product is a removable peripheral card. ### Claim 26 An integrated circuit product, comprising: a circuit board having a front side and a back side, the front side including die attach pads, and the back side including I/O contacts and test contacts; at least one semiconductor die attached to the front side of said circuit board, said at least one semiconductor die being electrically connected to the die attach pads of said circuit board; a molding compound to encapsulate said at least one semiconductor die and the front side of said circuit board; and an ink coating provided over the test contacts on the back side of said circuit board but not over the I/O contacts on the back side of said circuit board.