Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
  • F42B3/00—Blasting cartridges, i.e. case and explosive
  • F42B3/10—Initiators therefor
  • F42B3/12—Bridge initiators
  • F42B3/13—Bridge initiators with semiconductive bridge
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2224/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and methods related thereto as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2224/01—Means for bonding being attached to, or being formed on, the surface to be connected, e.g. chip-to-package, die-attach, "first-level" interconnects; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/42—Wire connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/47—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process
  • H01L2224/48—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process of an individual wire connector
  • H01L2224/4805—Shape
  • H01L2224/4809—Loop shape
  • H01L2224/48091—Arched
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2224/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and methods related thereto as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2224/01—Means for bonding being attached to, or being formed on, the surface to be connected, e.g. chip-to-package, die-attach, "first-level" interconnects; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/42—Wire connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/47—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process
  • H01L2224/48—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process of an individual wire connector
  • H01L2224/484—Connecting portions
  • H01L2224/4847—Connecting portions the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a wedge bond
  • H01L2224/48472—Connecting portions the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a wedge bond the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2224/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and methods related thereto as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2224/01—Means for bonding being attached to, or being formed on, the surface to be connected, e.g. chip-to-package, die-attach, "first-level" interconnects; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/42—Wire connectors; Manufacturing methods related thereto
  • H01L2224/47—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process
  • H01L2224/49—Structure, shape, material or disposition of the wire connectors after the connecting process of a plurality of wire connectors
  • H01L2224/491—Disposition
  • H01L2224/49105—Connecting at different heights
  • H01L2224/49109—Connecting at different heights outside the semiconductor or solid-state body
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2924/15—Details of package parts other than the semiconductor or other solid state devices to be connected
  • H01L2924/181—Encapsulation
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2924/19—Details of hybrid assemblies other than the semiconductor or other solid state devices to be connected
  • H01L2924/191—Disposition
  • H01L2924/19101—Disposition of discrete passive components
  • H01L2924/19107—Disposition of discrete passive components off-chip wires

Definitions

• igniter devices for automobile applications where the igniter element explodes so as to inflate airbags or tighten seatbelt retractors has been suggested.
• Such igniter devices would include a semiconductor fuse device mounted in a package formed of a header having two terminals extending therefrom for receiving current from control circuitry to actuate the fuse device and an enclosure member (hereinafter referred to as a "can body") denning a cavity within which is placed a predetermined amount of pyrotechnic material provided in close proximity to the semiconductor fuse device so as to be ignited thereby.
• a semiconductor fuse device mounted in a package formed of a header having two terminals extending therefrom for receiving current from control circuitry to actuate the fuse device and an enclosure member (hereinafter referred to as a "can body") denning a cavity within which is placed a predetermined amount of pyrotechnic material provided in close proximity to the semiconductor fuse device so as to be ignited thereby.
• One problem of using semiconductor fuse devices in known igniter devices is the making of safe connection of
• the invention provides a two terminal semiconductor package comprising a header having an electrically conductive mounting surface for receiving a semiconductor device thereon and two pins extending externally from the header to provide two external terminals, a first one of said pins extending through said header and being insulated therefrom to provide an internal terminal for coupling to the semiconductor device, a second one of the pins being electrically coupled to the mounting surface of the header, said header being provided with a flange for receiving a can body, wherein said pins are sufficiently thick and rigid to make a mechanical non- soldered electrical connection with a connector adapted to receive the terminals of the package.
• the invention provides a semiconductor package comprising a two terminal semiconductor device having one terminal formed by a surface of the device and a second terminal provided by a contact on the device, a header having an electrically conductive mounting surface on an internal side of the header and a flange around the periphery of the header for receiving a can body extending over said device and being attached to the flange of said header, the semiconductor device being mounted with its said surface in electrical contact with said mounting surface, and a pair of terminals extending from an external side of the header, one of said terminals being in electrical contact with said mounting surface and the other of said terminals being insulated from the header and passing through said header to the internal side thereof and being electrically coupled to said contact of said device.
• the invention provides a semiconductor igniter device for automotive airbag or seatbelt retractor ignition, the device comprising a header having mounted thereon an igniter element and having a flange therearaound for mating with a can body which extends over the igniter element and is hermetically sealed to the flange.
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section through a known igniter device
• FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section through a second known igniter device
• FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-section through an igniter device according to the invention.
• a known igniter device comprises two pins 1 extending through a header 2 compressed in a metal envelope 3.
• a resistive wire 4 is electrically connected between the ends of the pins 1 .
• the two pins 1 are used as male connecting elements to the firing system.
• An epoxy moulded can body structure 5 is attached to the metal envelope 3 and a predetermined amount of pyrotechnic material 6 is compressed within the cavity between the header 2 and the can body structure 5 against the resistive wire 4.
• the igniter device is then usually surrounded by more pyrotechnic material surrounded by gas-producing material so as to inflate automotive airbags.
• a current is driven through the wire 4 via the pins 1 so as to heat up the wire 4 and thus ignite the pyrotechnic material 6.
• FIG. 2 shows a cross section of a second known igniter device used in military applications.
• the device includes a header 9 having an electrically conductive mounting surface for receiving a semiconductor chip 11 of a type having two wire bond pads and a fuse section between them.
• One pin 8 extends through the header 9 and insulated therefrom by an insulating layer 10, for example of glass.
• the other pin 7 is electrically attached to the header 9. Both pins 7 and 8 are used to electrically link the device to a firing system.
• Electrical connection of the semiconductor chip 11 to pin 8 is made by direct connection with a wire 13 bonded to a pad on the chip 11 and to the end of pin 8. Electrical connection to pin 7 is made by bonding a wire 12 between a pad on the chip 11 and the header 9.
• a can body 14 is glued to the header 9, thus creating a cavity that is filled with pyrotechnic material 15. Since the device is used in military applications, it is generally required that the pyrotechnic material 15 explode in one preferred direction. Therefore, the can body 14 has a relatively large wall thickness and is made of brass. This means that the can body 14 cannot be hermetically sealed, for example by welding, to the header, which is generally made of gold-plated Kovar alloy material.
• This device actually uses a modified standard semiconductor package, e.g. a T046 package, which is designed for connection with a printed circuit board connector and the pins are therefore too thin for direct insertion into automotive female connectors and their spacing is not correct for standard female automotive connectors which are widely used throughout the automotive industry. Accordingly, complicated additional mechanical structural modifications would be required to enable the device to connect with automotive connectors.
• a modified standard semiconductor package e.g. a T046 package
• pins 16, 17 are used as male connecting elements to a firing system.
• Pin 16 is directly connected to an electrically conductive header 18.
• Pin 17 extends through the header 18 and is insulated therefrom by means of a glass seal 20 which provides full hermeticity to the device .
• a semiconductor die 21 is bonded on its underside to the conductive surface of the header 18 and is connected to the pin 17 via a wire 22 connected to a bond pad on the top side of the die. The bottom surface of the semiconductor die 21 provides a contact so that only one wire bond is needed on the top surface.
• a can body 23, of relatively thin wall thickness and made of nickel, iron or other ferromagnetic material has a flange 25 which is hermetically sealed, for instance by electric welding, to a flange 19 of the header 18.
• a cavity is therefore created that is filled with a predetermined amount of pyrotechnic material 24.
• This structure provides full hermeticity in the cavity and provides a direct connection to the firing system. Because the semiconductor die 21 only has one wire bond from its top surface, there is sufficient area on the header for the two pins to be of a sufficient thickness and therefore strength for direct insertion into standard female automotive connectors to make a mechanical non-soldered electrical connection.
• the pins 16 and 17 are each provided with a bend 26 to provide the appropriate spacing at their ends for insertion into the standard female automotive connector.
• the package could include three or more pins, in order to allow for more complex semiconductor igniting devices. This could be of particular interest in the event of igniter devices actuated by more complex firing signals, so as to increase the level of security, for instance in automobile applications.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Air Bags (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9468080

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1994
  • 1994-10-21 FR FR9412591A patent/FR2726124A1/fr active Granted
• 1995
  • 1995-10-20 WO PCT/EP1995/004121 patent/WO1996012926A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1995-10-20 EP EP95937808A patent/EP0756693A1/en not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (5)

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