What is Ball Grid Array (BGA) on a PCB Board

Hi, guys welcome to the new post. In this post, we will discuss What is Ball Grid Array (BGA) on a PCB Board. Ball Grid Array (BGA) is a packaging technique used in electronic circuit boards that has different benefits than other packaging techniques. It is used due to its features to handle large interconnections in less area. so used in high-density applications. In this post, we will learn Ball Grid Array (BGA), and other parameters. So let’s get started What is a Ball Grid Array (BGA)

What is BGA?

• BGA integrated circuits are SMD components that do not come with leads. Then they have solder balls that are an array of metallic balls configured on board. Fixging of solder balls of BGA on board is performed through laminated substrate existing at the bot of the PCB package boards.
• Metallic traces are used for route die connections with solder balls. BGA board packaging provdies IO connections then flat packages and dual in line board.
• BGA integrated circuits come with more efficiency and high-speed operation due to short connections from silicon die with solder balls. With the compact lead length and lead space, BGA packages have a good solution for high-speed board devices having densely packed circuits.

BGA vs. Other Packaging Technologies:

Feature	BGA	PGA	LGA
Package type	Ball grid array	Pin grid array	Land grid array
IC connection	Solder balls	Pins	Solder balls
Package size	Compact	Larger	Larger
Heat dissipation	Good	Fair	Good
Cost	expensive	Less costly	Less costly
Complexity	More complicated	Less complicated	Less complicated
Applications	High-performance devices,  devices with a lot of ICs thin devices,	, devices that do not need high-performance	devices that do not need high-performance

BGA (Ball Grid Array) Package:

The BGA package is surface mount technology that comes with an array of solder balls on the lower side of the package. These solder balls work as electrical and mechanical connections between the package and the board. BGA  packages come with some benefits.

• BGA packages help the high pin count and increase input-output features than other packages. So best to use for complex and high-performance applications.
• The solder balls in BGA packages offer good theraml conductivity, helping effective heat dissipation from to board.
• BGA packages provdies shorter electrical paths and less inductance and capacitance, resulting in good signal quality and higher-speed electrical performance.

LGA (Land Grid Array) Package:

THe LGA package is like BGA which is surface mount technology. Then having solder balls, LGA packages come with a carry of lands or pads on the lower side that make direct connections with the resulting pads on board. LGA packages have these features.

• LGA package has lower parasitic inductance and capacitance then BGA which is best to use for high-frequency applications.
• The direct contact between packages and PCB in LGA packages results in good mechanical stability and reliability, specailly for thermal cycling conditions.

Advantages of BGA:

• it has small size board
• Less cost
• High efficiency and reliable
• high thermal dissipation
• Best electrical implementation.

Disadvantages of BGA:

• When soldering is finished inspection is difficult.
• It needed high rework and was highly cautious.
• the high sensitivity of BGA components conditions environmental changes
• It needed electrostatic protection and high storage maintenance

Features of BGA:

• The board made with this technology needed less space.
• it is a low electrical inductance technique.
• It saves chip from overheating due to low thermal resistance.
• It has less interconnection density and less board complication due to PoP stacking

What is a Cold Solder Joint and How Can You Prevent it?

Types of BGA

Types of BGA Packages

1. PBGA: Plastic over molded BGA created with plastic-coated casing laminated substrate of glass mixture and etched copper traces. The ball pitch is 1.0 mm, 1.27 mm. 2-4 layered boards of organic matter.
2. FlipChip BGA: It comes with a multilayer substrate on board.
3. CBGA: Ceramic BGA where the ceramic substrate is configured with FlipChip (FC) electrical connections.
4. CDPBGA: Cavity Down PBGA comes with a square-shaped low depression in the chip area known as the cavity area.
5. TBGA: This type of BGA comes with a soft-shaped substrate with a one to two-layer board called Flex Tape BGA.
6. H-PBGA: High thermal BGA.

JLCPCB BGA Technology:

As a well-known PCB supplier and services provider is JLCPCB also offers BGA services. The BGA-PCB products are accurately tested at JLCPCB with the use of the proper latest techniques before proving to customers. Their BGA services are according o modern electronic desing requirements and make sure different customers’ needs for BGA integration in board desing and satisfy clients with the highest degree of accuracy and quality.

. Here are some of their BGA technology’s salient features:

1. Advanced Manufacturing Equipment:
2. High-Precision Assembly:
3. X-ray Inspection:
4. Design Guidelines:
5. Quality Assurance:  JLCPCB follows the quality guidelines to ensure good performance of BGA assemblies.

Quality inspection of BGA

The Inspection of BGA packages is difficult due to solder ball using. Conventional optical techniques are enough for detecting faults. For increasing accuracy, boundary scan inspection, electrical testing and X-ray inspection are used in SMT assembly with BGA

 Electrical testing:

• This method finds open circuit and short circuit faults.

Boundary scan inspection:

• Leveraging the inspection port of boundary scan design, this method finds solder-joined boundary connectors to find component opens and shorts.

 Automated X-ray inspection:

Automated X-ray inspection checks solder joints with components, showing hidden faults such as voids, and bubbles, contrary to AOI, which just checks visible connections. Common BGA defects are loose solder, cold joints, bridge shorts, opens, cavities, missing/dropped solder balls, and irregular sizes.

Elimination of BGA defects:

Detaching of components: BGA component defects can be rectified by first detaching the components from the board. It can be done by careful heating of localized components on the PCB board, which melts down the solder joints, and we can vary the components and fix the solder connections as needed

BGA rework process:  This process is done in a dedicated rework station in the factory., where BGA board components are heated with the use of the infrared heater. Heat level can be monitored by thermocouple. To raise the package from the underlying board a vacuum module is used along with other equipment.

Localized heating: the heating method is done carefully and it is limited to the defective area on the PCB board. Localized heating to confirm the safety of neighboring components on the PCB.

Read also:

• Industrial Control PCB Board
• Types of PCB Board
• Matte vs Glossy in PCBs
• What is PCB Leds Circuit Board: What Do You Need to Know
• Four Layer PCB Layout: Design Process and Cost of Manufacturing

FAQs

What is a BGA in PCB?

BGA is called ball gird array is a type of surface mount packaging used in integrated circuits. BGA has different techniques for connection and is used for permanently mounting devices. Other packages such as quad flat pack, and QFP, used the sides of the package to make connections.

What is the difference between BGA and LGA?

Land grid or LGA packages in a non-socketed configuration do not have balls and use flat contact that is soldered directly to the board.

BGA packages come with balls as their contact in between the IC and board. balls are normally connected with the underside of the IC.

What is the difference between a pin grid array and a ball grid array?

Feature	Ball Grid Array (BGA)	Pin Grid Array (PGA)
Connection type	Solder balls	Tiny pins
Connection arrangement	A square grid of rows and columns	A square grid of rows and columns
Density	High	Lower
Heat dissipation	Excellent	Good
Impedance	Low	Higher
Ease of unsoldering	Easy	More difficult
Deballing	Possible	Not possible
Reballing	Possible	Not possible
Portability	High	Lower
Thermal and mechanical properties	Excellent	Good
Applications	CPUs, GPUs, and other high-performance ICs	CPUs, other ICs
Package variants	Many	Fewer
CPU sockets	Many	Fewer
Cost	Higher	Lower

What is the difference between PCB and BGA?

BGA board comes with more interconnection than normal PCB board helping the high density, small size board. As pins are on the inner side of the board, leads are shorter and resulting in good conductivity and fast operation of the device.

What are the 3 types of PCB?.

• Single-sided PCBs: This board has conductive layers on one side.
• Double-sided PCBs: It has conductive layers on both sides of the boards
• Multilayer PCs: There are many layers on this board where components can be connected.

What is the function of BGA?

The ball grid array is surface mount packaging used in integrated circuits. BGA packages are used to permanently mount devices like microprocessors..

What is the advantage of BGA?

• It has highly reliable dense pins
• Good heat conduction
• Low inductance leads to the best electrical performance.

How many types of BGA are there?

Normally it has 3 main types

Ceramic BGA (CBGA), Plastic laminate BGA (PBGA) , Tape BGA (TBGA)