Semiconductor device with corner tie bars

A surface mount semiconductor device, comprising:

• an electrically and thermally conductive flag having corners and tie bars extending from said corners;
• a semiconductor die having an active face with internal electrical contacts, and a back face opposite said active face mounted on said flag;
• an encapsulation having top and bottom faces and an edge surface, wherein said semiconductor die and said flag are embedded within said encapsulation;
• a set of exposed electrical leads connected with said internal electrical contacts, said exposed electrical leads being supported by said encapsulation and projecting from said edge surface for connection to an external electrical circuit;
• wherein said semiconductor die has a power ground connection through at least one of said tie bars that is exposed as a power ground lead for said semiconductor die and projects from said edge surface for connection to said external electrical circuit, and
• at least one first bond wire connecting at least one dummy bond pad at a corner of said semiconductor die to said at least one of said tie bars, wherein said at least one dummy bond pad does not carry power ground current.