Ballgrid

Ballgrid, commonly referred to as ball grid array (BGA), is a type of surface-mount package used for integrated circuits. In a BGA, solder balls are arranged in a regular grid on the underside of the package, providing a large number of connections to the printed circuit board through reflow soldering. The package can be plastic or ceramic and may include a central thermal pad to improve heat dissipation.

Ball pitch typically ranges from 0.5 to 1.0 mm, with the number of balls corresponding to the device’s I/O count. Balls are made of lead-free or traditional solders, and during assembly the balls melt to form joints with copper pads on the PCB. An exposed or dedicated thermal pad on the package bottom is common in many BGAs to enhance heat transfer.

Advantages of BGAs include high I/O density and a smaller footprint compared with leaded packages, along with improved electrical performance due to shorter interconnect lengths. They also offer favorable thermal characteristics and scalability for high-pin-count devices.

Disadvantages include inspection and repair challenges, since joints are not visible from the package side. Rework requires specialized equipment and can risk damage to the package or board. Successful implementation depends on precise land patterns, controlled solder mask openings, and careful thermal management to avoid solder bridging or uneven joint formation.

BGAs are widely used for high-pin-count integrated circuits such as CPUs, GPUs, memory devices, and various ASICs in consumer electronics, computing, and telecommunications. Variants include plastic BGAs, ceramic BGAs, and fine-pitch or thermal-enhanced versions tailored to specific performance and reliability needs.