Mechanical couplings designed to resolve process constraints

Abstract

An integrated circuit package having a shunt resistor with at least one self-aligning member that protrudes from a first surface, and a lead frame with at least one self-aligning feature that is a cavity within which the at least one self-aligning member is located, and an integrated circuit located on the lead frame.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An integrated circuit package, comprising:
 a pad including a cavity;   at least one lead extending from the pad;   a resistor including a member that extends from a first surface of the resistor, the member within the cavity such that the resistor is electrically connected to the pad;   an integrated circuit die electrically connected to the resistor.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 1 , wherein resistor is a shunt resistor. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 1  further comprising a conductive paste between the member and the cavity. 
     
     
         4 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity extends from a first side of the pad to a second side of the pad. 
     
     
         5 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 5 , wherein the member protrudes beyond a plane along a surface of the second side of the pad. 
     
     
         6 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 1 , wherein the pad is located below a plane along a surface of the at least one lead. 
     
     
         7 . An integrated circuit package, comprising:
 a shunt resistor having at least one member that protrudes from a first surface of the shunt resistor; and   a portion of a lead frame having at least one a cavity extending from a first surface of the portion of the lead frame facing the first surface of the shunt resistor, the at least one member located within the at least one cavity; and   an integrated circuit located on the portion of the lead frame.   
     
     
         8 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 7 , wherein the cavity is a through hole that extends from the first side of the portion of the lead frame through a second side of the portion of the lead frame, that is opposite the first side of the portion of the lead frame. 
     
     
         9 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 8 , wherein an outermost surface of the at least one self-aligning member has a surface area that is greater than a surface area of the self-aligning feature of the portion of the lead frame. 
     
     
         10 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 7 , wherein the integrated circuit package is a quad flat no-lead (QFN) package. 
     
     
         11 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 7 , wherein the shunt resistor has at least four members. 
     
     
         12 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one member protrudes beyond a plane of the portion of the lead frame. 
     
     
         13 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one member includes a feature resultant of stamping at one end. 
     
     
         14 . An amplifier comprising:
 an integrated circuit package comprising:
 a shunt resistor having at least two self-aligning members, each of the at least two self-aligning members being formed from a material of the shunt resistor and as protrusions from a first surface of the shunt resistor; and 
 a pad of a portion of a lead frame having at least two holes extending from a first surface of the pad facing the first surface of the shunt resistor through a second surface of the pad opposite the first surface, wherein each of the at least two self-aligning members are located within and through a respective one of the at least two holes; and 
 an integrated circuit located on said lead frame. 
   
     
     
         15 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 14 , wherein the at least two self-aligning members protrude beyond a plane of the portion of the pad. 
     
     
         16 . The integrated circuit package of  claim 14 , wherein the at least two self-aligning members include a feature resultant of stamping at one end.