Exposed, solderable heat spreader for integrated circuit packages

An integrated circuit package comprising:

• a semiconductor die that contains an electronic circuit and exposed electrical connections to the electronic circuit;
• a thermally-conductive heat spreader having a first outer surface and a second outer surface substantially parallel to the first outer surface, the first outer surface being affixed to all portions of a silicon side of the semiconductor die in a thermally-conductive manner;
• and
• non-electrically conductive, encapsulation material completely encapsulating the semiconductor die and the heat spreader, except for the second outer surface of the heat spreader which is solderable and forms part of an exterior surface of the integrated circuit package,
• wherein:
• the integrated circuit package is an embedded die package;
• the semiconductor die is an embedded die;
• the semiconductor die includes a circuit side that is substantially parallel to the silicon side;
• the integrated circuit package further includes at least one electroplated electrical connection to the circuit side of the semiconductor die;
• and
• the at least one electroplated electrical connection is electrically connected entirely through an electroplated or sputtered conductive routing layer to a terminal in the exterior surface of the integrated circuit package that includes the second outer surface of the heat spreader, the terminal including a leadframe terminal exposed from the encapsulation material at a portion of the exterior surface of the integrated circuit package and a portion of sidewalls of the integrated circuit package.