BACKGROUND

Semiconductor components and integrated circuits are generally contained in electronic devices and interconnection to the electronic devices is obtained via metallic leads, generally of copper, conducting electrical current and heat from a semiconductor die into a printed circuit board (PCB) and its surroundings. The semiconductor die is mounted onto a die pad of a leadframe containing the leads, and metallic bond wires, typically gold, copper, or aluminum, are used to connect the semiconductor die's bond pads or other surface connections to the leads.

During manufacturing, the semiconductor die is attached to the die pad and then bond wires electrically connect the bond pads to the leads. Generally, the die pad and leads are part of a leadframe that is molded in a plastic case and the outside of the leadframe is cut off to separate the leads. Thereafter, the packaged device is separated from other packages, connected via their respective leadframes, by mechanical sawing or by mechanical punching. The metallic leads of the leadframe are then formed into J-wing leads or “gull wing” leads using mechanical forming to set them into their final shape. The leads are bent so as to have a bent portion and a bottom flat portion that is coplanar for mounting on a flat surface of a PCB.

A conventional semiconductor die includes a semiconductor substrate with a metallization structure having at least one exposed metallized area on the surface to be directly electrically connected to a lead of the leadframe, or via a bond wire. The bond wire, typically comprising gold, copper, aluminum or some other conductive metallic alloys, can be used to electrically connects the semiconductor die bond pads to the leads. The leads typically extend laterally outside of the enclosure of the packaged electronic device. The leads are formed into a non-planar shape that includes a bent portion and a flat portion. Solder is typically used to electrically connect the flat portions of the leads to the PCB. During use of the electronic device in various applications, the solder connection between the lead and the PCB can crack or otherwise fully break, thereby leading to the malfunction or failure of the electronic device.

SUMMARY

Described examples include an electronic device with a semiconductor die, an enclosure, leads extending outwardly from the enclosure. The leads are electrically connected to the semiconductor die, and the leads have a reduced cross-sectional area along a longitudinal length of the lead. In one example, the reduced cross-sectional area on the leads is formed by a slot, notch, grove, or compressed region. In one example, the reduced cross-sectional area on the leads is formed by the slot, the notch, the grove, or the compressed region located on a top surface, a bottom surface, a right side and/or a left side of the lead.

An example method includes providing a leadframe that includes leads, providing a semiconductor die, attaching the semiconductor die to the leadframe, electrically connecting the semiconductor die to the leads of the leadframe, and reducing a cross-sectional area of the leads along a longitudinal length of the lead.

An example leadframe includes a die pad, and first and second leads connected to and extending outwardly from the die pad. The first and second leads have a reduced cross-sectional area along a longitudinal length of the first and second leads.

An example electronic system includes a semiconductor die, an enclosure, and leads extending outwardly from the enclosure and electrically connected to the semiconductor die. The leads have a reduced cross-sectional area along a longitudinal length of the leads. The system also includes a printed circuit board, and the leads on the electronic device are electrically connected to the printed circuit board.

