Semiconductor device with test-only contacts and method for making the same

摘要

A semiconductor device has test-only contacts to reduce the size of the device and eliminate unnecessary external contacts. In one form of the invention, a semiconductor device (30) is provided with solder balls (26) which are electrically coupled to those portions of a semiconductor die (20) that are necessary for device operation. The device also includes test pads (32) formed on a package substrate (12) which are electrically coupled to those portions of the die which are necessary only for a manufacturer's testing purposes. In another form, a semiconductor device (10) includes external test-only solder balls along the periphery of the package substrate, for example solder balls between boundaries A and B. After testing is complete, the package substrate is excised along boundary A, thereby eliminating solder balls which are not needed by the device user. A combination of the two techniques may also be used.