Low-cost plastic sensor packaging using the open-window package concept

This paper presents a low-cost transfer mould packaging concept for sensors, based on a direct-mould principle. The advantage of this new packaging concept, which we call the open-window package, is that up to the moulding step the whole assembly process is compatible with the standard lead-frame processing, The open-window package concept allows plastic sensor packaging with one or more environmental access paths to be created in a single moulding step. As an application of this new packaging concept, a plastic sensor package with a single access path has: been developed for commercial production. The performances of this new low-cost package are satisfactory and lifetime performances show promising results. Furthermore, packaging of other types of sensors is in preparation. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.