1. A semiconductor package, comprising:
a first die containing a first discrete device with a first bond pad on a first surface, the second surface of the first die connected to a first die attach pad;
a first lead of a leadframe, the first lead having a first end proximate the first die and a second end distal from the first die with a bottom surface of the first end connected to the first bond pad, and the upper surface of the first end of the first lead forming a second die attach pad;
a second die containing a second discrete device connected to the second die attach pad;
a connector attached to the second discrete device that mechanically clips that second die to the first die attach pad; and
a molding material encapsulating the connector, the first and second dies, and the first end of the first lead without encapsulating the second end of the first lead.
2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the first and second discrete devices are different.
3. The semiconductor package of claim 2, wherein the first discrete device comprises a transistor and the second discrete device comprises a diode.
4. The semiconductor package of claim 3, wherein the first discrete device comprises a bipolar junction transistor.
5. The semiconductor package of claim 1, wherein the first die attach pad is part of a die attach paddle.
6. The semiconductor package of claim 4, wherein the connector also mechanically clips the second discrete device to the die attach paddle.
7. The semiconductor package of claim 4, wherein the connector also mechanically clips the second discrete device to a second lead.
8. The semiconductor package of claim 1, further comprising a second lead having a first end proximate the first die and a second end distal from the first die with a bottom surface of the first end connected to the first discrete device via a second bond pad on the first surface of the first discrete device, the upper surface of the first end of the second lead forming a third die attach pad and the second discrete device being connected to the third die attach pad.
9. The semiconductor package of claim 8, wherein the molding material encapsulates the first end of the second lead without encapsulating the second end of the second lead.
10. A semiconductor package, comprising:
a first die comprising a transistor containing a first bond pad on a first surface, the second surface of the first die connected to a first die attach pad of a die paddle;
a first lead of a lead frame with an inner part proximate the first die and an outer part distal from the first die, the inner part with a bottom surface connected to the first bond pad, the upper surface of the inner part of the first lead forming a second die attach pad;
a second die comprising a diode connected to the second die attach pad;
a connector attached to the diode; and
a molding material encapsulating the inner part of the first lead without encapsulating the outer part of the first lead.
11. The semiconductor package of claim 10, wherein the transistor comprises a bipolar junction transistor.
12. The semiconductor package of claim 10, wherein the connector mechanically attaches the cathode of the diode to the die attach paddle.
13. The semiconductor package of claim 10, wherein the connector mechanically attaches the anode of the diode to a second lead with a bottom surface connected to the transistor via a second bond pad on the first surface.
14. The semiconductor package of claim 10, further comprising a second lead of the lead frame with an inner part proximate the first die and an outer part distal from the first die, the inner part of the second lead with a bottom surface connected to the transistor via a second bond pad on the first surface and the upper surface of the inner part of the second lead forming a third die attach pad and the diode being connected to the third die attach pad.
15. The semiconductor package of claim 14, wherein the molding material also encapsulates the connector, the transistor and the diode, and the inner part of the second lead without encapsulating any surface of the outer part of the second lead.
16. A method for making a semiconductor package, comprising:
providing a first die comprising a first discrete device containing a first bond pad on a first surface;
connecting the second surface of the first die to a first die attach pad;
connecting a bottom surface of a first end of a first lead of a leadframe to the first bond pad, wherein the upper surface of the first end of the first lead comprises a second die attach pad and wherein the first end is proximate the first die and the first lead also contains a second end distal from the first die;
connecting a second die containing a second discrete device to the second die attach pad;
attaching a connector to the second discrete device so that the connector mechanically clips the second die to the first die attach pad;
encapsulating a molding material around the connector, the first and second dies, and the first end of the first lead without encapsulating the second end of the first lead.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first discrete device comprises a transistor and the second discrete device comprises a diode.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first discrete device comprises a bipolar junction transistor.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein the first die attach pad is part of a die attach paddle.
20. The method of claim 16, wherein the connector also mechanically clips the second discrete device to the die attach paddle.
21. The method of claim 16, wherein the connector also mechanically clips the second discrete device to a second lead having a first end proximate the first die and a second end distal from the first die.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:
connecting a bottom surface of the second lead to the first discrete device via a second bond pad on the first surface, wherein the upper surface of the second lead comprises a third die attach pad; and
connecting the second discrete device to the third die attach pad.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the molding material encapsulates the first end of the second lead without encapsulating the second end of the second lead.
24. A method for making a semiconductor package, comprising:
providing a first die comprising a transistor containing a first bond pad on a first surface;
connecting the second surface of the die to a first die attach pad of a die paddle;
connecting a first lead of a lead frame to the first bond pad, wherein the first lead contains an inner part proximate the first die and an outer part distal from the first die, the inner part with a bottom surface connected to the first bond pad and the upper surface of the inner part of the first lead forming a second die attach pad;
connecting a second die comprising a diode to the second die attach pad;
attaching a connector to the diode; and
encapsulating a molding material to enclose the inner part of the first lead without encapsulating the bottom surface or the upper surface of the outer part of the first lead.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
providing a second lead of the lead frame with an inner part proximate the first die and an outer part distal from the first die;
connecting a bottom surface of the second lead to the first die via a second bond pad on the upper surface of the first die, wherein the upper surface of the second lead comprises a third die attach pad;
connecting the second die to the third die attach pad; and
encapsulating the molding material to enclose the connector, the transistor, the diode, and all surfaces of the inner part of a second lead without encapsulating any surface of the outer part of the second lead.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A method for forming a face plate assembly for a panel display using a template having an array of mold holes open to a first surface, at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes corresponding to a desired location and a desired shape of a spacer support structure for a face plate, the method comprising:
positioning a glass sheet in contact with the first surface of the template;
heating the glass sheet to a temperature where the glass sheet becomes plastic under pressure;
creating a pressure differential between an ambient pressure and a pressure within the array of mold holes of the template, the pressure within the array of mold holes of the template being less than that of the ambient pressure; and
flowing a portion of the glass sheet using the pressure differential to fill the at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes of the template for forming at least one spacer support structure
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
removing the glass sheet having the at least one spacer support structure from the template:
coating a surface of the glass sheet having the at least one spacer support structure with a transparent layer of conductive material;
depositing a plurality of phosphor dots on the transparent layer of conductive material; and
cooling the glass sheet.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
coupling the at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes of the template to a vacuum pump.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the template includes a second surface substantially parallel to and interconnected with the first surface via the at least one mold hole, the at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes extending between the first surface and the second surface.
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the transparent layer of conductive material is indium tin oxide.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
providing a manifold block having at least one mating port aligned with the at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes of the template, the at least one mating port having a cross-sectional area size less than a cross-sectional area size of the at least one aligned mold hole of the array of mold holes of the template.
7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:
removing flashing material from a portion of the at least one spacer support structure, the flashing material being integral with the at least one spacer support structure.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flashing material is removed by a polishing step.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating the glass sheet includes heating the glass sheet within an oven chamber.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the oven chamber includes a hermetically sealable and pressurizable oven chamber.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the oven chamber includes a compressor pump connected thereto.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein each mold hole of the array of mold holes of the template comprises a tapered mold hole to facilitate separation of the face plate assembly from the template.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein each mold hole of the array of mold holes is tapered within a range of about 0.5 to 2 degrees from normal to the first surface of the template.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein each mold hole of the array of mold holes includes a lining, the lining comprising a layer that is selectively etchable with respect to the glass sheet and the template.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein both the glass sheet and the template are heated and cooled simultaneously.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the glass sheet is heated to a temperature within a range of 600 C. to 1000 C.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the template comprises a template of at least one material from a group of materials consisting of ceramic compounds, metals and metal alloys having a melting point greater than 1000 C., and graphite.
18. A method of fabricating a face plate assembly for a evacuated panel display, the assembly having a face plate structure and integral spacer support structures formed of substantially a same material as that of the face plate structure using a template having a first planar face, having a second planar face, and having an array of mold holes perpendicular to the first planar face and second planar face, each mold hole of the array of mold holes corresponding to a desired location of a spacer support structure, the method comprising:
providing a glass substrate having a first generally planar surface and a second generally planar surface;
providing a manifold block having at least one surface and an array of mating ports on the at least one surface, each port of the array of mating ports mating with an adjacent surface of the template and aligning with at least one mold hole of the array of mold holes in the template;
forming a temporary generally sealed structure by sandwiching the template between the first generally planar surface of the glass substrate and the at least one surface of the manifold block;
heating the glass substrate to a plastic state at predetermined pressure conditions; and
flowing a portion of the glass substrate using a pressure differential between an ambient atmosphere surrounding the temporary generally sealed structure and pressure within the array of mold holes, the pressure within the array of mold holes being less than that of the ambient atmosphere, the pressure differential causing glass material from the glass substrate to flow into and fill a plurality of mold holes of the array of mold holes
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
removing the face plate assembly from the template:
coating the first planar surface of the template with indium tin oxide; and
depositing phosphor dots on the indium tin oxide.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the template comprises a template of at least one material selected from a group of materials consisting of ceramic compounds, metals and metal alloys having a melting point greater than 1000 C., and graphite.