Polymers being used in a plastic-encapsulated integrated circuit (IC) package exposed to a humid environment absorbed moisture and expand resulting to a so called delamination failure. Weak or imperfect adhesions between the interfaces of the mold compound and adhesive unto the leadframe surface are often the main sources of these failures. In response to automotive requirements and to ensure excellent package reliability and integrity, delamination in all interfaces should then be eliminated. Thus the primary objective of this work is to fulfill the no delamination criteria in all interfaces after moisture soak for an exposed pad package. To satisfy these requirements, activities includes leadframe design improvements, surface enhancement and bill-of-material changes. With the design improvements implemented, still the material compatibility plays an important role in achieving improved package reliability.

This study attempts to explore Batch-type Microwave (B-MW) plasma cleaning as a potential alternative to the conventional Strip-type Radiofrequency (S-RF) plasma; for application prior molding to improve adhesion along the mold-lead frame interface. Performance of B-MW was evaluated in terms of improvement in surface wettability, quantified via Contact Angle (CA) measurements. Mix of typical industrial plasma gases (Ar, H2 and O2) were assessed. Constant flow pattern was observed to significantly improve surface wettability and uniformity compared to its pulsed counterpart; and also affect the effect of other factors on the over-all cleaning performance of B-MW. Proceeding with constant flow pattern, surface wetting was found to improve with increasing power and cleaning time. The combination of O2 and H2 plasma was found to be more effective compared to utilizing them separately. Both cleaning time and flow rate increased the amount of reactive species that come in contact with the contaminants. With optimized parameters, B-MW was confirmed to be a more effective plasma method than S-RF i.e. 12% more effective in removing contamination and improving surface wettability, up to 20% better uniformity and can boost throughput to at least 34%.