Guide to Reballing for Different BGA Package Types

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The BGA reballing process, also known as reworking, allows for the repair of poorly connected BGA packages. Due to the variety of BGA package types, the solder types for reballing vary. First, to address these differences, you must know what each type of packaging is and why they need a variety of techniques. Once you know these basics, you can feel more confident in your choice of a place to send your BGA packages to for reballing.

Table of Contents

What Is a Ball Grid Array Package?

BGA stands for ball grid array. This component does not have leads connecting it to a circuit board. Instead, it uses solder balls to pass electricity between the circuit board and the package. These balls attach physically to the substrate, which uses wire bonding to electrically connect with the die. The substrates have conductive traces inside that send electrical signals from the bonds between the die and substrate to the connections between the base and balls.

BGA reballing allows you to reuse components instead of scrapping them. This process saves money and materials by removing and reconnecting the BGA package. In fact, by reworking BGA packages, the cost decreases from higher than pin-based packages to 25 percent lower than QFP, quad flat pack using leads, when factoring in repair costs.

What Is the Advantage of a BGA Package?

The use of solder to affix the BGA package to the substrate provides this package option with many advantages. These advantages include the following:

  • More compact: These packages take up less space on the circuit board.
  • Self-aligning: The ball shape of the solder joints align the package with ease.
  • Less thermally resistant: Heat quickly dissipates from between the joints.
  • More conductive: The high number of joints and their small size allows for better electrical movement through the balls of the package.

BGA Package Types

Ball grid array packages have a variety of subtypes based on the substrate and other materials used in them. All these types use solder joints to connect the package to the circuit board. Technically, these package types fall into three main categories:

  • Ceramic BGA (CBGA)
  • Plastic laminate BGA (PBGA)
  • Tape BGA (TBGA)
When it comes to reballing these package types, the composition of the solder makes a difference. Using the correct balance of metals in the solder ensures good conductivity between the package and the circuit board. The correct choice of solder also ensures the longevity of the reballing work.

1. Ceramic BGA Package (CBGA)

CBGA is a ceramic ball grid array package type. This package type uses a ceramic substrate. There are a variety of package types that fall into this category, such as CCGA and LGA package types.

CBGA packages cost more per pin compared to PBGA packages, but some applications require CBGA, such as devices that require a high pin count on flip-chip designs. PBGA cannot achieve the density needed for those uses.

Ceramic BGA packages also work well with flip chips in general. The solder balls have a 90 percent lead and 10 percent tin composition to increase reliability and overcome the issues of the differences between the thermal coefficients of expansion of the substrate and board.

However, you may also find CCGA, which refers to a ceramic column grid array. This form of BGA package type uses columns of solder joints that almost double the number of contact points compared to basic ball grid arrays. The life span of the solder joints increases nearly three times with a CGA package type compared to a BGA.

2. Plastic Laminate BGA (PBGA)

Plastic ball grid array package types use a plastic substrate and solder balls comprised of 63 percent tin and 37 percent eutectic lead. The substrate must be capable of withstanding temperatures up to 150 degrees Celsius (302 degrees Fahrenheit). Typically, the choices for this material include the following:

  • Dry-Clad: A proprietary epoxy-based laminate from IBM.
  • Polyimides: A form of plastic laminate.
  • Bismaleimide triazine epoxy glass: Also known as BT epoxy glass.

PBGA can also accommodate flip-chip designs for increasing connectivity between the package and the circuit board.

3. Tape BGA

Tape BGA (TBGA) uses flexible interconnect for creating fine lines on the solder balls. This type of package excels at thermal performance.

Related to TBGA is the metal BGA (MBGA). This type of package uses an aluminum substrate in the simplest design forms. While it does not use tape or flex layer as TBGA packages do, its design produces similar results. It harnesses thin film and microchip module (MCM) technology to connect the solder mask to the aluminum base. MBGA and TBGA have similarly outstanding electrical and thermal performance.

4. PoP Package Types

PoP stands for a package on package and refers to a double-stack design. The top chip is for RAM (random access memory), while the bottom chip is the CPU. This design allows for more packages to fit into a smaller footprint on the circuit board.

5. LGA Package Types

LGA package types refer to a land grid array. This type of design introduced the need for BGA package types in the 90s by the need to use solder balls to connect the package to the circuit board. For LGAs that use sockets, the package includes pins to connect the socket to the circuit board.

Other LGAs have direct a direct connection to the circuit board through soldering rather than a socket. Though similar to BGA package types, LGA packages have flat solder contacts rather than balls.

6. QFN Package Type

QFP stands for a quad flat pack, which is a type of surface-mounted chip package that uses all four sides to send leads from. The use of four sides gives this package type the quad part of its name. These come with plastic and ceramic substrates. Plastic QFP types all have gull-wing leads, whereas ceramic QFP does not.

QFN package type is a variety of QFP that does not have leads because the QFN stands for quad flat pack no leads or pins.

7. Flip-Chip

The flip-chip design places the active site downward. Any surface of a flip-chip can have connections through solder ball joints. The advantage of using a flip-chip model is shrinking the distance and reducing inductance.

Connect With Us for All Your BGA Rework, Training and Consulting Needs

If you need reworking on a part, you get a wholly revived system, not just a machine. In addition to our BGA reballing, QFN reballing and CGA reballing, we also offer training and consulting. For more than 25 years, we have exceeded our customers' expectations — let us do the same for you. Contact us at PCB Services for more information on our rework, training and consulting services.