Silver Spot/Palladium Plate Lead Frame Finish

This invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to spot plating selected parts of a lead frame to improve bonding.

Certain assembly operation schemes for integrated circuits require low processing temperatures which may limit the ability to bond to the standard palladium finish. Similarly, certain lead frame designs mandated by finish device requirements, limit the amount of heat that can be applied to a lead frame in the bonding operation, or restrict the ability to clamp and immobilize the lead fingers during the bond operation. Lead on chip is an example of this type of lead frame design.

The invention is a method of spot plating silver on palladium for the parts of the lead frame that are internal to the plastic package holding a semiconductor device. A spot of silver is plated in the mount and/or bond areas of a lead frame. The entire lead frame is first plated with palladium/nickel finish prior to spot silver plating.

The technical advance represented by the invention as well as the objects thereof will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features set forth in the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the process of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a typical semiconductor lead frame; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of the lead frame of FIG. 2 showing the spot plating.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of the present invention. A lead frame, step 10, for example, of copper alloy, alloy 42 or other base metal is plated (step 11) with a palladium finish or a similar palladium-nickel or palladium strike or flash, nickel plat, or thin palladium plate.

An optional layer of copper or another metal is applied at selected places on the lead frame (step 12).

After the previous plating steps, a layer of silver, or another metal, is applied to selected spots on the lead frame to improve wire bondability of gold wire to the lead frame. The gold, or other metal, wire is bonded to the silver spots. Metals other than silver may be used.

The silver over palladium or palladium alloy provides improved package integrity. The amount of silver required may be reduced when silver is spot plated over palladium rather than a base metal.

FIG. 2 is a typical semiconductor lead frame 20 having a device mounting pad 22, leads 23 on a continuous lead frame strip 21.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged portion of FIG. 2, illustrating the device mounting pad 22 and leads 23. A portion of the mounting pad 22 has a layer of silver 24 thereon. Also leads 23 each have a layer of silver plating 25 on the end of each lead. This facilitates attaching a gold bond wire to the tip of each lead and to a bond pad on a device (not illustrated) that will be mounted on the mounting pad.