Temporary bonding of packages to carrier for depositing metal layer for shielding

A method for shielding packaged circuitry comprising:

• providing a plurality of ball grid array (BGA) packages, each package comprising a package body housing a circuit, the package body having a top surface and side surfaces, wherein the package has an array of metal balls located on a bottom surface of the package body, wherein the balls have a thickness and extend below the bottom surface of the package body;
• providing a stretchable, tacky tape over a frame;
• providing a spacer over the tape, the spacer having an opening for each of the packages;
• mounting the packages over the spacer such that the balls of each package are located within the openings during a subsequent step of depositing a metal film, wherein a perimeter of the bottom surface of the packages forms a seal around each of the openings to protect the balls during the step of depositing the metal film;
• depositing a metal film over the top surface and side surfaces of the package body of each of the packages and over a surface of the spacer between the packages using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, while the balls are protected from the metal film;
• and
• removing each of the packages from the tape by lifting each package while tearing the metal film along bottom edges of the package, resulting in shielded BGA packages.

A method for shielding packaged circuitry comprising:

• providing a plurality of land grid array (LGA) packages, each LGA package comprising a package body housing a circuit, the package body having a top surface and side surfaces, wherein the package has an array of metal lands located on a bottom surface of the package body;
• providing a rigid, reusable carrier wafer;
• providing an adhesive layer on the carrier wafer;
• mounting the packages on the carrier wafer such that the lands are not exposed during a subsequent metal film deposition step;
• depositing a metal film over the top surface and side surfaces of the package body of each of the packages and over a surface of the carrier wafer between the LGA packages using a physical vapor deposition (PVD) process;
• and
• removing each of the packages from the carrier wafer by lifting each LGA package while tearing the metal film along bottom edges of the LGA package, resulting in shielded LGA packages.