A process for manufacturing a strained semiconductor device envisages: providing a die of semiconductor material, in which elementary components of the semiconductor device have been integrated by means of initial front-end steps; and coupling, using the die-attach technique, the die to a support, at a coupling temperature. The aforesaid coupling step envisages selecting the value of the coupling temperature at a value higher than an operating temperature of use of the semiconductor device, and moreover selecting the material of the support so that it is different from the material of the die in order to determine, at the operating temperature, a coupling stress that is a function of the different values of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials of the die and of the support and of the temperature difference between the coupling temperature and the operating temperature. Furthermore, additional stress can be enhanced by means of different embodiments involving the support, such as ring or multi-layer frame.

A powder carrier, to which a powder layer containing a metal powder is applied, is provided by an automatic powder carrier feed. A first joining partner is pressed onto the powder layer located on the powder carrier so as to bond a powder layer portion to the first joining partner. The first joining partner is raised from the powder carrier together with the powder layer portion bonded to the first joining partner, and the powder layer portion bonded to the first joining partner is arranged between the first and second joining partners. A sintered join is produced between the first and second joining partners by pressing the first and second joining partners against one another such that the powder layer portion makes contact with both the first and second joining partners. The powder layer portion is sintered as the joining partners are being pressed against one another.

A process for manufacturing a strained semiconductor device envisages: providing a die of semiconductor material, in which elementary components of the semiconductor device have been integrated by means of initial front-end steps; and coupling, using the die-attach technique, the die to a support, at a coupling temperature. The aforesaid coupling step envisages selecting the value of the coupling temperature at a value higher than an operating temperature of use of the semiconductor device, and moreover selecting the material of the support so that it is different from the material of the die in order to determine, at the operating temperature, a coupling stress that is a function of the different values of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials of the die and of the support and of the temperature difference between the coupling temperature and the operating temperature. Furthermore, additional stress can be enhanced by means of different embodiments involving the support, such as ring or multi-layer frame.

A power semiconductor device is such that a notch provided, along a longitudinal end face of an inner lead, in a region of a lead frame to which the inner lead is bonded. A resistor is disposed, adjacent to the inner lead, on the same side as the notch with respect to the inner lead, and a distance between the inner lead and the notch is set to be smaller than a distance between the inner lead and the resistor, and thereby the inner lead, even when shifted in position, comes into no contact with the resistor. Because of this, it is no more necessary that a space be provided around the inner lead taking into consideration a positional shift of the inner lead, and it is possible to secure the heat release area of power semiconductor chips accordingly, and thus to obtain the small-sized and high-powered power semiconductor device.

A method of making a semiconductor including soldering a conductor to an aluminum metallization is disclosed. In one example, the method includes substituting an aluminum oxide layer on the aluminum metallization by a substitute metal oxide layer or a substitute metal alloy oxide layer. Then, substitute metal oxides in the substitute metal oxide layer or the substitute metal alloy oxide layer are at least partly reduced. The conductor is soldered to the aluminum metallization using a solder material.

The present invention provides a highly reliable solder joint, the solder joint including a solder joint layer having a melted solder material containing Sn as a main component and further containing Ag and/or Sb and/or Cu; and a joined body including a Ni—P—Cu plating layer on a surface in contact with the solder joint layer, wherein the Ni—P—Cu plating layer contains Ni as a main component and contains 0.5% by mass or greater and 8% by mass or less of Cu and 3% by mass or greater and 10% by mass or less of P, the Ni—P—Cu plating layer has a microcrystalline layer at an interface with the solder joint layer, and the microcrystalline layer includes a phase containing microcrystals of a NiCuP ternary alloy, a phase containing microcrystals of (Ni,Cu).sub.3P, and a phase containing microcrystals of Ni.sub.3P.

The present invention provides a highly reliable solder joint, the solder joint including a solder joint layer having a melted solder material containing Sn as a main component and further containing Ag and/or Sb and/or Cu; and a joined body including a Ni—P—Cu plating layer on a surface in contact with the solder joint layer, wherein the Ni—P—Cu plating layer contains Ni as a main component and contains 0.5% by mass or greater and 8% by mass or less of Cu and 3% by mass or greater and 10% by mass or less of P, the Ni—P—Cu plating layer has a microcrystalline layer at an interface with the solder joint layer, and the microcrystalline layer includes a phase containing microcrystals of a NiCuP ternary alloy, a phase containing microcrystals of (Ni,Cu).sub.3P, and a phase containing microcrystals of Ni.sub.3P.

A semiconductor apparatus capable of sufficiently securing adhesion between a lead frame and sealing resin body. The semiconductor apparatus includes a lead frame, semiconductor device bonded to a mounting surface of the lead frame, and sealing resin body that covers the surface of the semiconductor device and a surrounding region of the semiconductor device on the mounting surface, in which in the surrounding region, a plurality of circular concave portions is formed with a predetermined pitch in a plurality of rows so as to surround the semiconductor device, and when the pitch and depth of concave portions arranged in at least the innermost peripheral row of the rows that surround the semiconductor device are represented as P[μm] and H[μm],respectively, and the flexural modulus of elasticity of the sealing resin body is represented as E[GPa], the following Formulae (1) and (2) are satisfied:

E[GPa]≤20[GPa]  (1)

5≤86.4−5.45×E[GPa]+0.164×P[μm]≤H[μm]  (2)

Disclosed embodiments relate to a semiconductor device. A semiconductor device is fabricated by attachment of a first chip to a first surface of a pad of a leadframe. Each of one or more terminals of the first chip is connected to a respective lead of the leadframe. The first chip and the first surface of the pad are then encapsulated in a packaging material, while leaving an opposite second surface of the pad exposed. A second chip is attached to a recessed portion of the second surface of the pad so that at least one terminal of the second chip is substantially coplanar with an un-recessed portion of the second surface. In one embodiment, a third chip is also attached to the recessed portion of the second surface so that at least one terminal of the third chip is substantially coplanar with the un-recessed portion of the second surface.

A printed circuit board (PCB) includes an insulating layer with an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; a first conductive pattern on the upper surface of the insulating layer; a second conductive pattern on the lower surface of the insulating layer; an aluminum pattern that covers at least a portion of an upper surface of the first conductive pattern; and a first passivation layer that covers at least a portion of sides of the first conductive pattern and that prevents diffusion into the first conductive pattern.