Ball grid array

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Ball Grid Array is a type of surface-mount packaging used for integrated circuits.

Contents
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• 1 BGA
• 2 BGA Variants
• 3 See also
o 3.1 External links

o 3.2 See also

BGA
The BGA is descended from the pin grid array (PGA), which is a package with one face
covered (or partly covered) with pins in a grid pattern. These pins are used to conduct
electrical signals from the integrated circuit to the printed circuit board (PCB) it is placed
on. In a BGA, the pins are replaced by balls of solder stuck to the bottom of the package.
The device is placed on a PCB that carries copper pads in a pattern that matches the
solder balls. The assembly is then heated, either in a reflow oven or by an infrared heater,
causing the solder balls to melt. Surface tension causes the molten solder to hold the
package in alignment with the circuit board, at the correct separation distance, while the
solder cools and solidifies. The composition of the solder alloy and the soldering
temperature are carefully chosen so that the solder does not completely melt, but stays
semi-liquid, allowing each ball to stay separate from its neighbours.

The BGA is a solution to the problem of producing a miniature package for an integrated
circuit with many hundreds of pins. Pin grid arrays and dual-in-line surface mount
(SOIC) packages were being produced with more and more pins, and with decreasing
spacing between the pins, but this was causing difficulties for the soldering process. As
package pins got closer together, the danger of accidentally bridging adjacent pins with
solder grew. BGAs do not have this problem, because the solder is factory-applied to the
package in exactly the right amount.

A further advantage of BGA packages over leaded packages (i.e. packages with legs) is
the lower thermal resistance between the package and the PCB. This allows heat
generated by the integrated circuit inside the package to flow more easily to the PCB,
preventing the chip from overheating.
The shorter an electrical conductor, the lower its inductance, a property which causes
unwanted distortion of signals in high-speed electronic circuits. BGAs, with their very
short distance between the package and the PCB, have low inductances and therefore
have far superior electrical performance to leaded devices.

BGAs find some use in security-sensitive applications, especially where it is impossible

to prevent physical access to the chip. For instance, a ROM chip with a BGA
configuration is considerably more difficult to access than one in a DIP or TSOP layout.
Tracing circuit paths to the BGA chip is limited by the contact points being obscured by
the chip itself.

A disadvantage of BGAs, however, is that the solder balls cannot flex in the way that
longer leads can, so that bending and thermal expansion of the PCB is transmitted
directly to the package. This can cause the solder joints to fracture under high thermal or
mechanical stress. BGAs are therefore unpopular in certain fields, such as aerospace and
military electronics. This problem can be overcome, at a cost, by matching the
mechanical and thermal characteristics of the PCB to those of the BGA.

Another disadvantage of BGAs is that, once the package is soldered down, it is very
difficult to look for soldering faults. X-ray machines and special microscopes have been
developed to overcome this problem, but are expensive. If a BGA is found to be badly
soldered, it can be removed in a rework station, which is a jig fitted with infrared lamp, a
thermocouple and a vacuum device for lifting the package. The BGA can be replaced
with a new one, or can be refurbished or reballed. Packets of tiny ready-made solder balls
are sold for this purpose.

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BGA Variants
• FBGA or Fine Ball Grid Array based on ball grid array technology. It has
thinner contacts and is mainly used in system-on-a-chip designs.
o Known as FineLine BGA by Altera.

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See also
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External links

• Wikihowto: Guide to IC packages

• Chapter 11 "International Packaging Specifications" and Chapter 14 "Ball Grid
Array (BGA) Packaging" of Intel Packaging Databook
 • SiliconFarEast.com: BGA
• Overview of Ball Grid Array Chip Package

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See also

• Dual in-line package (DIP)

• Pin grid array (PGA)
• Land grid array (LGA)