Semiconductor chip assembly with post/base heat spreader and cavity over post

Abstract

A semiconductor chip assembly includes a semiconductor device, a heat spreader, a conductive trace and an adhesive. The semiconductor device extends into a cavity in the adhesive, is electrically connected to the conductive trace and is thermally connected to the heat spreader. The heat spreader includes a post and a base. The post extends upwardly from the base into an opening in the adhesive and is located below the cavity, and the base extends laterally from the post. The cavity extends to the post. The adhesive extends between the cavity and the conductive trace and between the base and the conductive trace. The conductive trace is located outside the cavity and provides signal routing between a pad and a terminal.

1 . A semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:
 a semiconductor device;   an adhesive that includes an opening;   a heat spreader that includes a post and a base, wherein the post is adjacent to the base and extends above the base in an upward direction, and the base extends below the post in a downward direction opposite the upward direction and extends laterally from the post in lateral directions orthogonal to the upward and downward directions;   a conductive trace that includes a pad and a terminal; and   an encapsulant;   wherein a cavity in the adhesive extends to the post and faces in the upward direction;   wherein the semiconductor device extends into the cavity, is above and overlaps the post, is electrically connected to the pad and thereby electrically connected to the terminal, and is thermally connected to the post and thereby thermally connected to the base;   wherein the adhesive is mounted on and extends above the base, extends between the post and the pad, extends laterally from the post to or beyond the terminal and is sandwiched between the base and the pad;   wherein the conductive trace is located outside the cavity;   wherein the encapsulant extends into the cavity and covers the semiconductor device in the upward direction; and   wherein the post extends into the opening and is located below the cavity, and the base extends below the semiconductor device, the adhesive, the encapsulant and the pad.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is located within the cavity. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is an LED chip. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor device is electrically connected to the pad using a wire bond that extends outside the cavity and is thermally connected to the post using a die attach that is located within the cavity. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive contacts the post, the base, the encapsulant, the pad and the terminal. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive covers and surrounds the post in the lateral directions. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive conformally coats sidewalls of the post and a top surface of the base outside the post. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive fills the space between the base and the conductive trace. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive extends laterally from the post beyond the terminal. 
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive extends to peripheral edges of the assembly. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the post is integral with the base. 
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the post is coplanar with the adhesive at the base. 
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the post has a cut-off conical shape in which its diameter decreases as it extends upwardly from the base to its top surface. 
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the base covers the semiconductor device, the post, the adhesive, the encapsulant and the conductive trace in the downward direction and extends to peripheral edges of the assembly. 
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive trace is spaced from the post and the base, and the pad and the terminal contact and overlap the adhesive. 
   
   
       16 . A semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:
 a semiconductor device;   an adhesive that includes an opening;   a heat spreader that includes a post and a base, wherein the post is adjacent to the base and extends above the base in an upward direction, and the base extends below the post in a downward direction opposite the upward direction and extends laterally from the post in lateral directions orthogonal to the upward and downward directions;   a substrate that includes a dielectric layer, wherein an aperture extends through the substrate;   a conductive trace that includes a pad and a terminal; and   an encapsulant;   wherein a cavity in the adhesive extends to the post and faces in the upward direction;   wherein the semiconductor device is located within the cavity, is above and overlaps the post, is electrically connected to the pad and thereby electrically connected to the terminal, and is thermally connected to the post and thereby thermally connected to the base;   wherein the adhesive is mounted on and extends above the base, extends into a gap in the aperture between the cavity and the substrate, extends across the dielectric layer in the gap, extends laterally from the post to or beyond the terminal and is sandwiched between the encapsulant and the dielectric layer and between the base and the dielectric layer;   wherein the substrate is mounted on the adhesive and extends above the base;   wherein the conductive trace is located outside the cavity;   wherein the encapsulant extends into the cavity and covers the semiconductor device in the upward direction; and   wherein the post extends into the opening and is located below the cavity, and the base extends below the semiconductor device, the adhesive, the encapsulant, the substrate and the pad.   
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the semiconductor device is an LED chip. 
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the semiconductor device is electrically connected to the pad using a wire bond that extends within and outside the cavity and is thermally connected to the post using a die attach that is located within the cavity. 
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive contacts the encapsulant and the dielectric layer in the gap and contacts the base and the dielectric layer outside the gap. 
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive covers and surrounds the post in the lateral directions. 
   
   
       21 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive fills the space between the cavity and the dielectric layer. 
   
   
       22 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive fills the space between the base and the substrate. 
   
   
       23 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive extends laterally from the post beyond the terminal. 
   
   
       24 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive extends to peripheral edges of the assembly. 
   
   
       25 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the post is integral with the base. 
   
   
       26 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the post is coplanar with the adhesive below the dielectric layer at the base. 
   
   
       27 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the post has a cut-off conical shape in which its diameter decreases as it extends upwardly from the base to the cavity, and the cavity has a cut-off conical shape in which its diameter decreases as it extends upwardly from the post to its entrance. 
   
   
       28 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the base covers the semiconductor device, the post, the adhesive, the encapsulant, the substrate and the conductive trace in the downward direction and extends to peripheral edges of the assembly. 
   
   
       29 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the substrate is spaced from the post and the base and is a laminated structure. 
   
   
       30 . The assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the encapsulant contacts the semiconductor device and the adhesive in the cavity and is spaced from the base. 
   
   
       31 . A semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:
 a semiconductor device;   an adhesive that includes an opening;   a heat spreader that includes a post and a base, wherein the post is adjacent to and integral with the base and extends above the base in an upward direction, and the base extends below the post in a downward direction opposite the upward direction and extends laterally from the post in lateral directions orthogonal to the upward and downward directions;   a substrate that includes a conductive trace and a dielectric layer, wherein the conductive trace includes a pad, a terminal and a routing line, the pad, the terminal and the routing line contact and extend above the dielectric layer, an electrically conductive path between the pad and the terminal includes the routing line, and an aperture extends through the substrate; and   an encapsulant;   wherein a cavity in the adhesive extends to the post and faces in the upward direction;   wherein the semiconductor device is located within the cavity, is mounted on and above and overlaps the post, is electrically connected to the pad and thereby electrically connected to the terminal, and is thermally connected to the post and thereby thermally connected to the base;   wherein the adhesive is mounted on and extends above the base, extends into a gap in the aperture between the cavity and the substrate, extends across the dielectric layer in the gap, is sandwiched between the encapsulant and the dielectric layer in the gap, is sandwiched between the base and the dielectric layer outside the gap, surrounds the post in the lateral directions, is overlapped by the pad, the terminal and the routing line and extends to peripheral edges of the assembly;   wherein the substrate is mounted on the adhesive, extends above the base and is located outside the cavity;   wherein the encapsulant extends into the cavity and covers the semiconductor device in the upward direction; and   wherein the post extends into the opening and is located below the cavity, and the base extends below the semiconductor device, the adhesive, the encapsulant and the substrate, covers the post, the adhesive, the encapsulant and the substrate in the downward direction and extends to peripheral edges of the assembly.   
   
   
       32 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the semiconductor device is an LED chip, is electrically connected to the pad using a wire bond that extends within and outside the cavity and is thermally connected to the post using a die attach that is located within the cavity. 
   
   
       33 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the substrate is spaced from the post and the base, the adhesive contacts the encapsulant and the dielectric layer in the gap and contacts the base and the dielectric layer outside the gap, and the encapsulant contacts the semiconductor device and the adhesive in the cavity and is spaced from the base. 
   
   
       34 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the post has a cut-off conical shape in which its diameter decreases as it extends upwardly from the base to its top surface at the cavity, and the cavity has a cut-off conical shape in which its diameter decreases as it extends upwardly from the post to its entrance at a top surface of the adhesive. 
   
   
       35 . The assembly of  claim 31 , wherein the post is coplanar with the adhesive below the dielectric layer at the base.