Package Matters

Questions and debate are common with the use of heatspreaders on flipchip BGA (FCBGA) packages.   This is one of those topics where “it depends” is said far too often.  From a cost standpoint, it is clear that the use of a heatspreader should be avoided.  On the other hand, there are many valid reasons why they [...]

Have you ever wondered while having fast food why you can only open a condiment packet from the edges that have a crinkle-cut? If you do try to open those packets from the long smooth sides, you’ll either need really sharp teeth or a pair of scissors since your fingers alone will just not cut it. The [...]

Cavity down BGA’s were once the staple of high-performance and high power packages.  The excellent thermal path made them the option of choice for processors and other power hungry devices. 

While there were many reasons that these devices fell out of favor, two reasons stand out.  Firstly (and more obviously), in comparison to other newer technologies, CDBGA’s [...]

That empty space between the inner array of balls and peripheral balls serve an important purpose in conventional BGA packages.  Before we dive into that purpose, lets take a moment to describe some of the characteristics of these broadly used conventional BGA packages.   One of the key attributes that make these packages so popular is their low cost, and [...]