Planar fan-out wafer level packaging

A method to form a device, the method comprising:

• forming a mold compound so as to encapsulate a die, wherein a bottom surface and a top surface of the die are respectively an active side and a non-active side of the die;
• forming a redistribution layer (RDL) below the bottom surface of the die and below the mold compound;
• forming an interconnect below the redistribution layer such that the interconnect is electrically coupled to the die through the redistribution layer;
• placing the die on a first carrier with a first adhesive prior to forming the mold compound;
• removing the first carrier and the first adhesive from the die subsequent to forming the mold compound and prior to forming the redistribution layer;
• and
• attaching a second carrier with a second adhesive on the mold compound subsequent to forming the mold compound,
• wherein forming the mold compound comprises forming the mold compound above the top surface of the die in a fan-in area and in a fan-out area, the fan-in area referring to an area of the device that corresponds to a lateral width of the die, and the fan-out area referring to an area of the device that extends laterally away from a side surface of the die,
• wherein the mold compound formed in the fan-in area is not coplanar with the mold compound formed in at least a portion of the fan-out area, and
• wherein forming the redistribution layer comprises forming a portion of the redistribution layer in the fan-out area.

A device, comprising:

• a die, wherein a bottom surface and a top surface of the die are respectively an active side and a non-active side of the die;
• encapsulating means for encapsulating the die;
• redistributing means below the bottom surface of the die and below the encapsulating means;
• and
• interconnecting means below the redistributing means and electrically coupled to the die through the redistributing means,
• wherein the encapsulating means is above the top surface of the die in a fan-in area and is also in a fan-out area, the fan-in area referring to an area of the device that corresponds to a lateral width of the die, and the fan-out area referring to an area of the device that extends laterally away from a side surface of the die,
• wherein the encapsulating means in the fan-in area is not coplanar with the encapsulating means in at least a portion of the fan-out area,
• wherein a portion of the redistributing means is in the fan-out area, and
• wherein the redistributing means is in direct contact with the die.