Semiconductor device having a ball grid array and method therefor

Abstract

A semiconductor device ( 50 ) includes a semiconductor die ( 52 ) having electronic circuitry that is connected to a substrate ( 54 ). The substrate ( 54 ) is used to interface the semiconductor die ( 52 ) to a printed circuit board ( 64 ). The substrate ( 54 ) includes a plurality of bonding pads ( 56, 58 ). A first portion of the plurality of bonding pads are soldermask defined (SMD) bonding pads ( 56 ) and a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads are non-soldermask defined (NSMD) bonding pads ( 58 ). Using a combination of SMD and NSMD bonding pads provides the advantages of good thermal cycling reliability and good bending reliability over devices that have only SMD bonding pads or NSMD bonding pads.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A semiconductor device, comprising: 
 a semiconductor die having electronic circuitry; and    a substrate for interfacing the semiconductor die to a printed circuit board, the substrate having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the printed circuit board, a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as soldermask defined bonding pads and a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.    
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein a soldermask defined bonding pad on a surface of the substrate comprises a metal bonding pad and having an insulative coating on the substrate overlapping a portion of the metal bonding pad, the overlapping portion for defining a connection area for a solder interconnect.  
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein a non-soldermask defined bonding pad on a surface of the substrate comprises a metal bonding pad and having an exposed edge, the exposed edge defining a connection area for a solder interconnect.  
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the plurality of bonding pads are the outermost bonding pads in an array of bonding pads.  
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein the outermost bonding pads are the three outer rows of bonding pads on the substrate.  
     
     
         6 . The semiconductor device of  claim 4 , wherein the second portion of the plurality of bonding pads are the innermost bonding pads in the array of bonding pads.  
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board for receiving the semiconductor die, the printed circuit board having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the substrate, a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as the soldermask defined bonding pads and a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as the non-soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board for receiving the semiconductor die, the printed circuit board having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the substrate, the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board for receiving the semiconductor die, the printed circuit board having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the substrate, the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         10 . A printed circuit board, comprising a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to a semiconductor device, a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as soldermask defined bonding pads and a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         11 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , wherein the printed circuit board is a substrate for interfacing a semiconductor die to the printed circuit board.  
     
     
         12 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , wherein the first portion of the plurality of bonding pads are the outermost bonding pads in an array of bonding pads.  
     
     
         13 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , wherein the outermost bonding pads are the three outer rows of bonding pads of the printed circuit board.  
     
     
         14 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , further comprising a substrate, the substrate for interfacing the printed circuit board to a semiconductor die, a first portion of a plurality of bonding pads on the substrate being characterized as the soldermask defined bonding pads and a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as the non-soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         15 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , further comprising a substrate, the substrate for interfacing the printed circuit board to a semiconductor die, the substrate having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the printed circuit board, the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         16 . The printed circuit board of  claim 10 , further comprising a substrate, the substrate for interfacing the printed circuit board to a semiconductor die, the substrate having a plurality of bonding pads for connecting to the printed circuit board, the plurality of bonding pads being characterized as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.  
     
     
         17 . A method for attaching a semiconductor device to a printed circuit board, the semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor die connected to a substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of bonding pads on a surface of the substrate for electrically connecting the substrate to the printed circuit board; and    depositing a soldermask over the surface of the substrate to define a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads as soldermask defined bonding pads and to define a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising a step of forming solder balls on the plurality of bonding pads.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of bonding pads on the surface of the printed circuit board for electrically connecting to the plurality of bonding pads on the substrate; and    depositing a soldermask over the surface of the printed circuit board to define a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads on the printed circuit board as soldermask defined bonding pads and to define a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads on the printed circuit board as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.    
     
     
         20 . A method for attaching a semiconductor device to a printed circuit board, the semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor die connected to a substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a plurality of bonding pads on a surface of the printed circuit board for electrically connecting the printed circuit board to the substrate; and    depositing a soldermask over the surface of the printed circuit board to define a first portion of the plurality of bonding pads as soldermask defined bonding pads and to define a second portion of the plurality of bonding pads as non-soldermask defined bonding pads.