Method for modified bus bar with Kapton™ tape or insulative material on LOC packaged part

Abstract

A semiconductor device is formed from a die and a lead frame having one or more bus bars. Portions of the bus bars are overlain with an electrically insulative material while leaving bonding areas unobstructed, whereby bond wires which span the bus bar(s) may be bonded with a shorter wire and a lower loop, without the danger of shorting to the bus bar(s). The incidence of harmful wire sweep in the encapsulation step is also reduced.

1 . A method of making a lead frame for a semiconductor device, comprising: 
 providing a conductive metal having an upper surface and a lower surface;    forming a lead pattern on the conductive metal, the lead pattern including: 
 a plurality of conductive leads having inwardly directed lead fingers with wire bonding areas for wire bonding to at least one bond pad of the semiconductor die; 
 at least one conductive lead of the plurality comprising a bus bar, the bus bar for wire bonding to the at least one bond pad of the semiconductor die;  
 
   locating a layer of insulative material on a portion of the upper surface of the conductive metal to form insulation on at least a portion of at least one bus bar, the insulative material including one of a layer of flowable insulation material and a tape material; and    removing the layer of insulative material from at least one wire bonding area on an upper surface of the at least one bus bar.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bonding a layer of insulative material comprises applying a layer of flowable polymeric insulative material onto the upper surface of the conductive metal.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 preventing the layer of flowable polymeric insulative material from flowing along the upper surface of the at least one bus bar.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the preventing the layer of flowable polymeric insulative material from flowing along the upper surface of the at least one bus bar comprises preventing the layer of flowable polymeric insulative material from flowing along at least a portion of the upper surface of the at least one bus bar.