Method of manufacturing molded semiconductor packages having an optical inspection feature

A method of manufacturing molded semiconductor packages, the method comprising:

• providing a molded semiconductor substrate comprising a mold compound in which semiconductor dies and metal pads are embedded, each metal pad being electrically connected to one of the semiconductor dies and uncovered by the mold compound at a first main surface of the mold compound;
• singulating the molded semiconductor substrate into individual molded packages each of which comprises one or more of the semiconductor dies and the corresponding metal pads, each metal pad having a bottom face uncovered by the mold compound at the first main surface, the metal pads disposed around a periphery of each molded package also having a side face uncovered by the mold compound at an edge along which the molded packages were singulated;
• immersing the molded packages in a chemical bath which roughens the bottom face of each metal pad and removes burrs from the side face of the metal pads disposed around the periphery of each molded package;
• and
• plating the faces of the metal pads uncovered by the mold compound after immersing the molded packages in the chemical bath.