A semiconductor chip having a planar active surface including an integrated circuit
protected by an inorganic overcoat; the circuit has metallization patterns including
a plurality of contact pads. Each of these contact pads has an added conductive
layer on the circuit metallization. This added layer has a conformal surface adjacent
the chip, including peripheral portions of the overcoat, and a planar outer surface;
this outer surface is suitable to form metallurgical bonds without melting. The
chip contact pads may have a distribution arrayed in the center of the chip in
close proximity to the chip neutral line; the distribution may leave an area portion
of the active chip surface available for attaching a thermally conductive plate.
The chip may further have a non-conductive adhesive layer over the overcoat, filling
the spaces between the added conductive layers on each contact pad.
