Integral fuse for use in semiconductor packages
AssigneeLittelfuse, Inc.
InventorStephen J. Whitney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuse element partially encapsulated in an arc-suppression material which can, in turn, be integrated along with a semiconductor device into a semiconductor package to provide overcurrent protection, as well as a method of integrating such a fuse along with a semiconductor device into a semiconductor package wherein the semiconductor package has a standard form factor based on the semiconductor device integrated within.
Claims25
A fuse integrally-formed within a unitary semiconductor package, comprising:
- a wire fuse element that is threadlike and not self-supporting;
- a self-supporting encapsulant formed around the fuse element, wherein the fuse element and the encapsulant are collectively flexible, self-supporting and bent in at least one place so as to be operable within the semiconductor package;
- and
- a portion of the fuse element exposed and connected electrically within the semiconductor package.
A semiconductor apparatus, comprising:
- a unitary semiconductor package;
- at least one semiconductor device disposed within the semiconductor package;
- and
- a fuse including an encapsulated fuse element disposed within the semiconductor package so as to avoid physical contact with the semiconductor device and connected directly electrically to a pair of terminals that extend from the semiconductor package, at least one of the terminals connected electrically to the semiconductor device.
A method of integrating a fuse within a semiconductor package, the method comprising the steps of:
- disposing at least one semiconductor device within the semiconductor package;
- and
- flexibly configuring a fuse that includes an encapsulant covering a portion of a fuse element within the semiconductor package so that the fuse extends around the semiconductor device and so that the fuse connects directly electrically to a plurality of terminals;
- and
- connecting at least one of the terminals electrically to the semiconductor device.
A method of providing overcurrent and overvoltage protection to a telecommunications circuit, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor apparatus having a fuse including an encapsulated fuse element, an overvoltage protection device and first and second terminals;
- forming the fuse so as to avoid physical contact with the overvoltage protection device;
- electrically directly connecting the fuse to the first and second terminals;
- electrically connecting at least one of the terminals to the overvoltage protection device;
- and
- connecting the first and second terminals to the telecommunications circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.