In electronics manufacturing, integrated circuit packaging is the final stage of semiconductor device fabrication, in which a tiny block of semiconducting material is encapsulated in a supporting case that prevents physical damage and corrosion. This case, called a "package," supports the electrical contacts which connect the device to a circuit board.
In the integrated circuit industry, the process is often referred to as packaging. Other names include semiconductor device assembly, assembly, encapsulation or sealing.
The packaging stage is followed by testing of the integrated circuit.
The term is sometimes confused with electronic packaging, which is the mounting and interconnecting of integrated circuits (and other components) onto printed-circuit boards.