Semiconductor Arrangement

The invention relates to a semiconductor arrangement made in the form of a metal contacting strip, which is provided with a plurality of notches and/or recesses to form a pattern of connecting parts which are provided for receiving semiconductor components or their connecting wires.

More and more switch over is taking place to semiconductor arrangements which comprise a plurality of semiconductor components. In addition to integrated semiconductor technology, in which numerous individual components are accommodated in a common semiconductor body, there is still the so-called multi-chip technology in which numerous individual components, which are accommodated in each case in a separate semiconductor body, are connected to each other. Either insulating plates coated with conductive paths or contacting strips of the type mentioned hereinabove are used to this end as the carrier body.

The greater the number of semiconductor components, the more difficult becomes their connection since the connecting wires must not cross each other if short-circuits are to be avoided.

It is an object of the invention to improve contacting facilities in such arrangements.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a semiconductor arrangement comprising a metal contacting strip, which is provided with a plurality of notches and/or cutouts to form a pattern of connecting parts, which are provided for receiving the semiconductor components or their connecting wires, characterised in that insulating platelets, which are metallized on their free surface, are arranged on the contacting strips to bridge over relatively large gaps between contact points, which platelets on the one hand are connected by means of a connecting wire to a connecting point and, on the other hand, likewise by means of a connecting wire, are connected to a semiconductor component or to a further connecting point.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a semiconductor arrangement comprising a metal contacting strip means for forming a pattern of connecting parts for receiving semiconductor components or their connecting wires, and a plurality of insulating platelets arranged on contacting strips of said contacting strip means, a metallizing layer on the free surfaces of said insulating platelets, and connecting wires connecting said metallizing layer on said insulating platelets to contact points or semiconductor components on said contacting strip means.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one form of semiconductor arrangement in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a platelet shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a multi-diode matrix, and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the arrangement connected for a multi-diode matrix.

Basically the invention proposes, in the case of a contacting strip of the type described hereinabove, that insulating platelets, metallized on the free surface side, are arranged on the contacting strips to bridge relatively large gaps between the contact points, which platelets on the one hand, are connected by means of a connecting wire to a connecting point and, on the other hand, likewise by means of a connecting wire, to a semiconductor component or to a further connecting point.

The platelets of insulating material form contact islands, with the help of which, on the one hand, the problem of relatively larger gaps existing between the contact points can be overcome, and on the other hand, a direct connection over corner points can be achieved which was previously impossible. Short connecting wires, by which short-circuits can be excluded as well as by which a higher packing density, an increased reliability of the circuit and many-sided switching possibilities are obtained with the help of the platelets.

The contact islands or insulating material platelets preferably comprise ceramics and are, for example, gold-plated on the free surface. The contact islands are stuck, for example on to the contacting strips.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a unit 1 of a screen-shaped contacting strip, which is provided for receiving a circuit. The metal contacting strip comprises a rectangular lead frame, which is formed from longitudinal webs 10 and transverse webs 3. Connecting tongues 11, which later represent the contacts or external leads for a finished semiconductor housing project outwardly on both longitudinal sides of the frame. Contacting tongues 2, which can form the end points for the connecting wires or also receive semiconductor components 5, project into the frame interior, likewise on the two longitudinal sides of the frame. Metal strips 4, which run parallel to each other, which end at the transverse webs 3 of the frame and are arranged perpendicularly to the extension direction of the contacting tongues 2, extend between the two rows of tongues. These longitudinal strips preferably receive the semiconductor platelets 5 and insulating material platelets 6. A semiconductor component 5 must be connected to the opposite tongue by means of the strips 4 for reasons of circuit technology as is shown in the top part of FIG. 1. Such a connecting wire is too long so that the danger of a short-circuit with the strips 4 always exists. This danger is avoided, if the connecting wire is first led to an insulating material platelet 6 and only then led to the connecting tongue from there. The insulating material platelets 6 will then preferably divide the entire wire length into approximately two parts of the same size.

FIG. 1 shows, in the lower part, how a semiconductor component is connected on a strip 4 to two tongues lying opposite each other and staggered with respect to each other. The insulating material platelet 6 is so arranged that the shortest possible connections are accomplished, by which the other necessary connections are not disturbed.

The semiconductor arrangement is always cast in a housing 8, which is bounded by the line 8 drawn with a broken line. Thereafter, in addition, the side webs 3 and the regions between the individual tongues must be removed to insulate the different connecting parts.

FIG. 2 shows an individual insulating material platelet 6, which comprises a ceramic and is for example 0.2 mm thick. A metal layer 12, for example of gold, is arranged on the upper surface and has a thickness of approximately 5 .mu.m. FIG. 2 further shows how the contacting wire 7 is connected to the gold surface 12 so that the ceramic platelets form a support point for the connecting wires. The gold layer can be evaporated thereonto or impressed thereon. Of course, also glass or Pertinax platelets can be used instead of ceramics.

FIG. 3 shows a diode/matrix arrangement which, for example, comprises 23 diodes. Such diode circuits are required for example to trigger or control storage cells.

The realization of such a circuit in multi-chip technology with the help of the insulating contacting islands can be seen from FIG. 4, wherein the reference numerals used in FIG. 1 are used again for all the components.

It can be seen from FIG. 4 how the connecting wires can be kept very short with the help of insulating material platelets and in so doing short-circuits can be avoided.

It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is suceptible to various modification changes and adaptations.