GB2202372A

GB2202372A - Pre-testable semiconductor die package

Info

Publication number: GB2202372A
Application number: GB08706395A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thanomsak Sankhagowit
Original assignee: National Semiconductor Corp
Current assignee: National Semiconductor Corp
Priority date: 1984-07-05
Filing date: 1987-03-18
Publication date: 1988-09-21
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-18
Also published as: GB2202372B; GB2232006A; GB2232006B; GB9013395D0; GB8706395D0

Abstract

Die contact pads (31) are bonded to the inner ends (31a) of interconnected finger contacts (13) on a copper tape. Interconnect cross-links (16) initially connect the finger contacts and the tape edges and function as dam bars in subsequent encapsulation steps. The die and die bonds are mold encapsulated to form the die package and a carrier frame (17) is simultaneously molded around and spaced from the periphery of the package. The finger contacts are exposed within a slot (34) in the frame or extend from the ends of the frame so that test probe tips can be pressed thereon to test the die and its bonds. Prior to testing, the interconnects exposed in the annulus between the package and the carrier are blanked out so that the fingers are no longer interconnected. <IMAGE>

Description

PRE-TESTABLE SEMICONDUCTOR DIE PACKAGE AND FABRICATION METHOD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape autoniated bonding process for fabrication of packaged integrated circuit semiconductor devices or IC dies and to lead frame and package constructions resultant from such processes.

Prior Art Semiconductor chips or integrated circuit (IC) dies have multiple electrical contact pads which are connected through external electrical leads or thin film conductors to plug-in contacts or bonded to other members on a printed circuit board or the like. In production processes, tape automated bonding (TAB) has been employed where a strip of metal tape in reel form provides a plurality of groups of metallic parts where each group includes interconnected finger contacts. These are connected at inner beam ends to die contact pads by bonding wires, compression bonding, or other means. The outer ends of finger contacts form the plug-in contacts or other connectable contacts of the die package.

This technique is typified by the method and construction shown in U.S. Patent 3,611,061 where a continuous metal tape has arrays of duplicate metal pathways forming narrow parallel finger contacts extending from a die-connect end to an integral metal transverse stabiliser for which holds the frame while the IC die is being bonded and encapsulated. The somewhat flexible metal tape, which is of a thickness from about 2.3 to 2.9 mils, has interconnect links between the finger contacts and sprocket nole perforations on the outer edges for indexing and moving tne tape through fabrication stations.After the die, inner ends and the ctie-to-ends bonds are encapsulated the links are sheared and the stabiliser bar and outer tape edges trimmed off resulting in a typical DIP (dual-in-line) or other package with finger-type plug-in leads extending from each side of the package. The device is then ready for testing.

U.S. Patent 3,68Y,991 shows a two-layer tape wherein sets of finger-like leads are secured or formed by etching techniques on an insulative tape.

These leads are essentially thin copper foils with a thickness of from about 1.0 to 1.6 mils. Such insulative tape affords support for the thin leads during the die bonding and encapsulation process and partly remains part of the internal final assembly.

Three-layer tape has also been employed which is similar to the two-layer tape described above except that the thin copper foil is laminated typically to a polymide layer previously coated with an adhesive material. It has been known to test two-layer and three-layer encapsulated packages prior to their complete trimming from the tape. This has been possible since the film is originally supported and continues to be supported in the fabrication process by the insulative layer. U.S. Patent 3,444,440 also shows a metal lead frame for mounting an IC die albeit not in reel form. After die bonding and encapsulation, the "picture-frame" edges (Figures 5-8) are trimmed off and the final package is ready for test. U.S.Patent 4,234,666 shows TAB processing of thin, delicate copper foil including inner and outer gang bonding of the leads to the die and lead frame, respectively, Honeywell Corporation has utilised a two-layer polyimide/copper tape in which an array of contact fingers and die attach area are mounted into a prefabricated stiff plastic frame akin to a 35 mm film negative older and the die bonded to inner contact fingers. The die and the bonds are then tested after blanking of interconnects but before encapsulation of the die and the bonds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The improved TAB technology of this invention offers advantages over the prior art in that it allows use of thin single-layer metal foil tape which is less costly, of high reliability, can be employed in extremely small packages, is easier to process and permits pre-testing of encapsulated packages prior to the die package being completed. Tape procurement, bonding components and dies are very expensive components of the overall cost. An automated process in which each of the dies (and their connections to the lead frame) can be pre-tested before other operations are performed on the package and the final package connected to its printed circuit board or to a die module or shipped to a using customer is therefore advantageous.This is particularly evident in the single packaging of multiple dice where high reliability and yield are essential. For example in a single-in-line memory module consisting of nine 64K bit DRAM dice which dice are mounted on a multilayered ceramic substrate and then gold-bonded, reliability testing cannot be performed prior to assembling on a printed circuit boar a. The probability of having all nine dice functioning within specifications is quite low. With the present invention, each die after it has been tape bonded and encapsulated can be pretested on the tape and if deficient can be eliminated from further processing and use.Thus, with pre-testing on the tape only one malfunctioning die may be eliminated rather than, if only one die is bad, necessitating the sacrifice of all nine dice, including eight satisfactory ones, making up the total module.

Use of single layer metal foil tape heretofore has not had the capability of being pre-testable.

The thin foil tape is very flexible and flimsy. It must be kept intact i.e., the leads kept interconnected and shorted together, until the final bonding and trimming operations. Trying to pretest after separation of the connecting links is extremely difficult since the package is so small, the spacing between the fingers is correspondingly small and the leads are too flimsy to handle or probe without breakage or shorting out to an adjacent lead.

In one aspect the invention provides a testable lead-frame strip comprising a conductive foil substrate having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said contacts having inner ends adapted to be bonded to contact pads on a die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites and intermediate portions between said inner and outer ends; said intermediate portions including cross links interconnecting adjacent finger contacts; and an insulative support carrier extending at least transversely of and bonded to said finger contacts to temporarily support said exposed outer ends for test purposes, said links being adapted to be blanked out to form discrete testable finger contacts extending from said die to said outer ends.

More particularly the invention provides a pre-testable lead frame assembly comprising: a conductive foil substrate having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said finger contacts having inner ends bonded to contact pads on a die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites and intermediate portions extending between said inner and said outer ends; said intermediate portions including cross links interconnecting adjacent finger contacts for stabilising the position of said fingers prior to die bonding and action to create dam bars useful in controlling the plastic flow in an encapsulation operation; an insulative encapsulant surrounding said die and the inner ends of said finger contacts to form a package from which said intermediate portions extend to form package pins; and an insulative support carrier spaced from and surrounding said package and extending at least transversely of and bonded to said finger contact to temporarily support said exposed outer ends for test purposes, said cross links being exposed between said support carrier and said package so that they can be removed after said die is encapsulated to form discrete insulated testable finger contacts extending from said die to said outer ends.

The invention also provides a semiconductor die package comprising a pre-testable die-mounting and lead frame tape, wherein said tape comprises: an elongated single layer conductive foil substrate having a series of conductive pathways including beam ends extending to a die-attach area, lead frame fingers extending outwardly from said beam ends and said area and links interconnecting said fingers for stabilising said fingers prior to bonding and to act as dam bars in molding; means for mounting a die containing contact pads in said area; means for connecting said contact pads to said beam ends; means for molding an encapsulant around said die and said connected base ends to form a die package having a portion of said lead frame fingers extending outboard therefrom and wherein saia links act as molding dam bars;; means for molding an insulative carrier over an outboard portion of said lead frame fingers outboard of said links to support said outboard fingers; means for disconnecting said lead frame finger links; and means for accessing for testing individual ones of said fingers adjacent said carrier.

In another aspect the invention provides a pre-testable lead frame assembly comprising: a conductive foil substrate having multiple finger contact patterns, each of said patterns including tinger contacts extending from a -die-receiving area, said finger contacts having inner ends bonded to the contact pads on a semiconductor die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites, and intermediate portions extending between said inner and outer ends; an insulative encapsulant surrounding said die ana the inner ends of said finger contacts to form a package from which said intermediate portions extend to form package pins; and an insulative support carrier located on said foil substrate to generally surround said package, said support carrier being spaced from said package and made sufficiently stiff to act as a mechanical handling aid for said lead frame assembly and to provide backing for said exposed outer ends of said finger contacts when test probes are applied thereto.

The invention also provides a method of fabricating a tape-mounted semiconductor die package testable in-situ comprising: providing a metal foil lead frame having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said contacts having inner beam ends, outer test ends and intermediate portions therebetween including cross-links connecting said finger contacts; connecting contact pads of a semiconductor die to said inner beam ends; molding a package-forming encapsulant around said die and said inner from beam on said lead frame, said outer test ends and intermediate portions of said finger contacts extending outwardly from said encapsulant; molding on insulative carrier over at least a transverse part of said intermediate portions of said finger contacts; and disconnecting said cross-links whereby said outer tests ends are accessible for testing individual ones of said finger contacts adjacent said carrier.

In a preferred form of the invention, a one-layer metal foil lead frame tape, generally supplied from a tape reel and containing edge sprocket holes for indexing, has finger contacts including inner end beams bonded to die contact pads and outer splayed probe ends suitable for test probe sites with intermediate parallel portions interconnected by cross links. The die, die contact pads, inner beam ends and their connection are then encapsulated to form a package having intermediate portions of the foil finger contacts and cross-links extending from the package. An insulative carrier is preferably simultaneously molded at least tranverseiy across the splayed probe ends and the cross-links sheared to form discrete nonshorted finger contacts extending from the die bond to the probe ends.Each package die can be tested in its carrier by probes contacting the discrete probe ends. Provision of a temporary molded-in-place insulative carrier across the splayed probe ends of the lead frame finger contacts permits rigidity and fixed spacing of the foil leads for the pre-test operation. After pretesting and if immediate connection to a printed circuit board is desired, the insulative carrier and the perforated edge portions of the tape are trimmed off the assembly (package/carrier unit) leaving a tested molded package with extending foil tabs or contacts for bonding to a module or printed circuit board electrical pathway.In the case of multi-die applications, for example, the described nine dice memory module, a die can be pretested by a suitable probe set after burn-in while it is still on the carrier so that if a malfunction occurs the bad die can be identified and thrown away. A subsequent encapsulated die package/carrier unit is tested for substitution. Thus, a group of dice may be individually pretested before their insertion in an expensive overall memory device. Further, the packaged die may be left in its carrier for internal handling in inventory or shipment to a customer. The package/carrier units may be stacked for slipping or storage purposes without injury to the die package since the carrier acts as a protective frame completely around the die package.The die package and integral carrier can be again tested if desired by the customer before the die (with the carrier trimmed off) is placed and bonded to the customer's printed circuit board.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE- DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a top plan view of the preferred tape automated bonding construction prior to initial trimming for test purposes.

Figure 2 is a partial top plan view of a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 is a magnified end view of the die package after encapsulation.

Figure 4 is a magnified side view of the die package after testing and final trimming to form a gull-wing die package mount.

Figure 5 is a side view of the finished carrier taken generally on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 with the tips of the carrier edge legs beyond the transverse carrier legs being absent.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional end view of the finished carrier taken generally on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a schematic view of the major steps of the fabrication process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION As shown in Figure 1 the tape automated bonding construction 10 comprises a single layer thin copper foil tape 11 typically of 2.6 mils in thickness and weight of two ounces per square foot which may be supplied as a continuous flexible strip from a reel.

The strip has continuous repeating linear arrays 10a,10b,10c etc., of similar patterns. These are normally fabricated by printing, masking and etching techniques, as is known in the semiconductor processing field. Each individual array at this stage includes a series of multiple initially-inter- connected finger contacts 13 having cutout etched apertures 14 therebetween. Etched cutouts separate the outermost fingers from the outer edges of the foil. The contacts are interconnected to each other and the outer longitudinal edges of the tape by longitudinal and laterally spaced integral crosslinks 16 which also function as dam bars to prevent egress of encapsulant between the finger contacts.

The finger contacts or pathways 13 in a particular application are on 20 mil centres and are 10 mils wide with a 10 mil spacing between the fingers.

Links and dams are thus also 10 mils in length between the contacts.

A die-receiving area 12 is provided centrally of each pattern in the illustrated embodiment. A semiconductor die such as a random access memory unit or other device is positioned in a tape central aperture and contact pads on the die bonded to inner end beams 31 (shown in detail in Figure 2j of the finger contacts 13. Splayed-out pathways 15 extend in electrical connection outwardly from finger contacts 13 to outer probe ends 19. The attached die, and the inner end beams and the bond therebetween are encapsulated to form a molded plastic die package 20 therearound. Simultaneously a peripheral insulative plastic carrier 17 is molded on both sides of the film. The carrier comprises longitudinal edge legs 17a and 17b and connected transverse lege 18a and 18b surrounding and spaced from the die package 20 to form a relatively stiff frame.Finger contacts 13 extend in parallelism across longitudinal portions of the annulus between the package and carrier with -the fingers and cross-links exposed.

The package and carrier are transfer molded in moldea platens brought into registration with those portions on the top and bottom surfaces of the tape where the package 20 and carrier 17 are to be formed. The encapsulant may be any suitable insulative molding compound, for example, an epoxy resin such as Sumitomo 1100 available from the Sumitomo Corporation. This particular encapsulant is used at a molding temperature of about 1700C with the transfer of compound occurring in about 12 seconds and with a cure time of about 70 seconds. A Stokes 40-ton press may be utilised to provide a high pressure molding operation. Encapsulation of multiple, for example, eight packages and eight surrounding carriers, may be done simultaneously at each indexing of the tape.A mold gate 50 extends from the carrier mold to the package mold so both molds can be served from a common molding compound source.

In a typical memory module application a die aperture of 19 x 35 mm is etched in the foil and a die (integrated circuit chips of 0.157 x 0.259 inches bonded to the finger contacts. The probe ends 19 of the pattern are splayed out from the intermediate contact fingers 13 by angular patterns 15. Probe ends 19 are preferably 20 mils wide and are on 50 mil centres thus allowing probe sensing utilising aspring-pressed, collet-type pin probe tester (known in the art as a POGO tester).

After encapsulation and curing of the packages and surrounding carrier(s) the cross-links 16 and the links 21 connecting the outermost fingers to the tape edges are blanked out to make each finger contact discrete, i.e., the interconnections or shorts between the fingers are removed. The probe finger ends 19 extend in an end slot 22 in carrier 17 or to the end of transverse legs 18a and 18b. At this time the film is excised, i.e. apertured at 25, to split-off one array from the next in line and to separate the probe ends 19 from each other. The tape 11 has a transverse aperture 23 between the arrays for stress relief in the molding operation. A semi-circular detent 24 is provided on the package top for determining package orientation in downstream test or assembly fixtures. Bevelled edge 9 on frame 17 also functions to orient the package for testing.

Fugure 2 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention and in addition a more detailed view of a typical die bonding construction. An inboard ovoidal slot 34 is molded within carrier 17 so as to provide access of probe tips to probe portions 35 extending from the contact fingers 13 and splayed pathways 15. The carrier may extend over sprocket holes 53 in the foil (used for indexing the foil through the die bonding and encapsulating steps) and end short of the tape edges lla and llb, as in Figure 1. It may alternatively extend in the preferred mode around the foil edges as is shown in Figure 6.

Die 30 has contact pads 31 which are bonded by reflow soldering, compression bonding or the like to the tips 31a of pathways or beam ends 32 of finger contacts 13. Registration notches 38 may be included in the foil and carrier for registration with tooling pins 39 to accurately locate the carrier and package for blanking and probe operations. Indexing holes 51 and mold locating holes 52 may be included in the film il. Edge portions 33a and 33b and the area between the contact fingers outer ends are also excised to form the discrete contact fingers after encapsulation of the package and formation of the carrier has been completed.

Figure 3 is a magnified end view of the molded package 20 showing tapered upper and lower case edges which aid in pin ejection of the package and carrier from the mold platens. The dam bar function of cross links 16 between the fingers 13 is also more clearly seen, such bars preventing ejection of encapsulant from the mold between the fingers. For better viewing the contact fingers have been omitted from the right side of die 30 in Figure 2 although shown in Figure 3.

Figure 4 is a magnified side view of the package after testing and trimming of the carrier therefrom and bending of the foil fingers 13 to form a gull-wing type mount 37. A copper bump 36 may be included on the inner beam ends of fingers 13 to facilitate thermocompression bonding with the die contact pads. The tips of the gull-wings 37 are bonded to bonding pads on copper or other conductive traces or through-hole vias, for example, on a printed circuit board. For test purposes the wings 37 are pushed down onto contacts of a test device.

Figure 5 is preferred embodiment of a package/carrier 1unit in which the tips of legs 17a and 17b of the carrier 17 extending beyona the connecting transverse legs 18a and 18b, are absent from the molded carrier. A pair of ledges 17c are formed extending across the molded frame at a level immediately below the bottom of the probe ends 19.

Test probes P can be spring-pressed against the probe ends 19 and ledges 17c support the thin foil when the foil ends are being pressed.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the finished package/carrier unit which shows the top surface 20a and bottom surface 20b of the central molded die package 20 below and above the respective top and bottom surfaces of frame 17. Thus the die package is recessed in a horizontal plane below the plane of the top and bottom surfaces of the carrier and protected from abrasion or contact with die/carrier units stacked one on another. The edges of the carrier are also tapered to facilitate its removal from the mold platens. The edges lla of the foil tape are totally encompassed by the carrier in this embodiment so that the carrier has smooth outer edges for handling and no copper edges are exposed which may jam fixtures or processing machinery.A trim and form tool and die set is utilised to trim frame 17 and gate 50 from the package which will result in a typical package such as shown in Figure 4. Normally, each of the package/carrier units or arrays shown in Figure 1 are singleated for test purposes while the package is mounted in the carrier. The package/carrier unit 10 may be mounted in burn-in sockets and burn-in performed prior to testing of the die and its contact bonds.

Figure 7 schematically illustrates the steps of the fabrication process. A continuous roll of tape 40 is indexed from a reel 41 to a die-align station 42 where a diets) are aligned with die-apertures in the tape. The contact pads of the die are bonded in a die bonding step 43 to particular foil fingers of the tape. The die and die-to-finger bonds are encapsulated by molding step 44. Simultaneously, a carrier is encapsulated peripherally around and spaced from the die package by a molding step 45.

The two-way arrows denote simultaneous steps which are preferred although the respective molding operations could be performed separately at more expense and inconvenience. After curing of the encapsulated die and die carrier the cross-links/dams are then blanked out in step 46 forming discrete (nonconnected) fingers supported at their root by the package encapsulation and at or adjacent their outer ends by the molded peripheral carrier. The package/ carrier unit is then singleated and is ready for the burn-in and testing step 47. A group of connected units may also be individually tested. The resultant tested package/carrier unit may be sold in the carrier for subsequent trimming and use with or without retest by the customer. Alternatively, the package/carrier can be placed in inventory. Then as needed the package can be excised from the carrier, including removal of the molding gate between the carrier and die package, and mounted for its intended use on a printed circuit board or other electrical device.

While the invention has been described in terms of a dual ended type of device where leads extend from the ends of package it also may be utilised with single-in-line, dual-in-line and quad configurations, for example, where the leads extend from the longitudinal side(s) of the die package or from all four sides, respectively.

Claims

1. A testable lead-frame strip comprising a conductive foil substrate having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said contacts having inner ends adapted to be bonded to contact pads on a die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites and intermediate portions between said inner and outer ends; said intermediate portions including cross links interconnecting adjacent finger contacts; and an insulative support carrier extending at least transversely of and bonded to said finger contacts to temporarily support said exposed outer ends for test purposes, said links being adapted to be blanked out to form discrete testable finger contacts extending from said die to said outer ends.

2. A pre-testable lead frame assembly comprising: a conductive foil substrate having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said finger contacts having inner ends bonded to contact pads on a die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites and intermediate portions extending between said inner and said outer ends; said intermediate portions including cross links interconnecting adjacent finger contacts for stabilising the position of said fingers prior to die bonding and action to create dam bars useful in controlling the plastic flow in an encapsulation operation; an insulative encapsulant surrounding said die and the inner ends of said finger contacts to form a package from which said intermediate portions extend to form package pins; and an insulative support carrier spaced from and surrounding said package and extending at least transversely of and bonded to said finger contact to temporarily support said exposed outer ends for test purposes, said cross links being exposed between said support carrier and said package so that they can be removed after said die is encapsulated to form discrete insulated testable finger contacts extending from said die to said outer ends.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 in which said finger contacts intermediate portions are parallel and said outer ends are aplayed from said parallel portions

4. An assembly according to claim 2 or claim 3 in which said substrate is in the form of a continuous flexible strip having continuous linear arrays of multiple interconnected parallel finger contacts extending from die-receiving areas and said contacts being parallel to peripheral linear edge portions of said strip.

5. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said die is encapsulated and said carrier peripherally surrounds and is spaced from said encapsulated die.

6. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein said carrier includes at least one transverse ledge for supporting said exposed outer ends of said contacts.

7. A semiconductor die package comprising a pre-testable die-mounting and lead frame tape, wherein said tape comprises: an elongated single layer conductive foil substrate having a series of conductive pathways including beam ends extending to a die-attach area, lead frame fingers extending outwardly from said beam ends and said area and links interconnecting said fingers for stabilising said fingers prior to bonding and to act as dam bars in molding; means for mounting a die containing contact pads in said area; means for connecting said contact pads to said beam ends; means for molding an encapsulant around said die and said connected base ends to form a die package having a portion of said lead frame fingers extending outboard therefrom and wherein said links act as molding dam bars;; means for molding an insulative carrier over an outboard portion of said lead frame fingers outboard of said links to support said outboard fingers; means for disconnecting said lead frame finger links; and means for accessing for testing individual ones of said fingers adjacent said carrier.

8. A package according to claim 7 further including means for trimming said carrier including said outboard portions of said lead frame fingers from said substrate resulting in a pre-tested die package having discrete contact fingers extending therefrom.

9. A pre-testable lead frame assembly comprising: a conductive foil substrate having multiple finger contact patterns, each of said patterns including finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said finger contacts having inner ends bonded to the contact pads on a semiconductor die placed in said area, exposed outer ends forming test probe sites, and intermediate portions extending between said inner and outer ends; an insulative encapsulant surrounding said die and the inner ends of said finger contacts to form a package from which said intermediate portions extend to form package pins; and an insulative support carrier located on said foil substrate to generally surround said package, said support carrier being spaced from said package and made sufficiently stiff to act as a mechanical handling aid for said lead frame assembly and to provide backing for said exposed outer ends of said finger contacts when test probes are applied thereto.

10. A lead frame assembly according to claim 9 wherein said support carrier is made thicker than said package whereby said support carrier also acts to protect said package.

11. A lead frame assembly according to claim 10 wherein said support carrier includes notches that accommodate and expose said outer ends of said finger contacts.

12. A method of fabricating a tape-mounted semiconductor die package testable in-situ comprising: providing a metal foil lead frame having multiple interconnected finger contacts extending from a die-receiving area, said contacts having inner beam ends, outer test ends and intermediate portions therebetween including cross-links connecting said finger contacts; connecting contact pads of a semiconductor die to said inner beam ends; molding a package-forming encapsulant around said die and said inner from beam on said lead frame, said outer test ends and inte-rmediate portions of said finger contacts extending outwardly from said encapsulant; molding on insulative carrier over at least a transverse part of said intermediate portions of said finger contacts; and disconnecting said cross-links whereby said outer tests ends are accessible for testing individual ones of said finger contacts adjacent said carrier.

13. A method according to claim 12 further comprising trimming away said carrier and all of said lead frame other than discrete lengths of finger contacts extending from said package-forming encapsulant to form said die package.

14. A method according to claim 12 in which said metal lead frame is a metallic single-layer foil tape with interconnected successive linear arrays of multiple interconnected parallel finger contacts and die-receiving areas and wherein said molding steps are simultaneously performed.

15. A method according to claim 14 including aligning a series of dies with respect to each of said arrays; and bonding a die to each of said arrays.

16. A method according to claim 14 or claim 15 further comprising molding said carrier peripherally around and spaced from said package-forming encapsulant, said transverse part extending between said outer test ends and said cross-links in said intermediate portions of said finger contacts.

17. A method according to any of claims 14 to 16 further comprising damming an area transverse to said finger contacts outer test ends to form a probing slot in said carrier transverse to said outer test ends.

18. A method according to any of claims 14 to 17 wherein said die is connected to said inner beam ends by thermal compression bonding.