Understand the BGA Pitch Design and more

BGA (Ball Grid Array) components have become super popular in the modern tech market. Manufactures utilize this component for SMD Integrated Circuits that have multiple connections. These components give you the freedom to develop Print Circuit boards that bear unique and improved designs. Hence, you can come up with a custom design that fits your gadget’s liking. BGAs also have impeccable performance when you compare them to traditional Quad Flat Packages. These feature, and more, have grown the popularity of this device immensely. Now BGA components have extensive application areas in the tech industry. You will find BGA components in tablets, smartphones, wearable gadgets, et cetera. These components also come in different varieties, all set apart by various properties. The pitch is one of the most common properties that set BGA components apart. But what does the BGA pitch entail? And why is it essential in BGA components?

BGA components, what are they?

Ball Grid Array packages are fantastic substitutes for traditional packages such as QFP (Quad flat packages). Unlike traditional packages that utilize their edges to create connections, BGA packages use their bottom side. In doing so, BGA packages lower the connection density, which in turn simplifies the PCB layout.

BGA components offer less signal degradation due to less inductance. Therefore, optimal outputs are almost always inevitable when you utilize this component.

BGA components have short leads, which means that signals travel through a shorter path. BGA components are hence faster in terms of signal propagation.

In terms of chemical compositions, BGA components come in two different variations. We have the Ceramic varieties and the plastic varieties.

BGA is famous for its low inductance, high lead count, and compact size. They, therefore, draw in less voltage when you compare them to traditional packages.

Aligning BGA chips onto their specific PCB positions is super easy due to their solder balls. These solder balls or simply solder bumps are usually farther apart when you compare them to the traditional leaded packages.

Also, since BGAs utilize their bottom part to make connections instead of their edges. Manufacturers can now develop super tiny packages which we can use to develop tiny gadgets.

Advantages of working with BGAs

If you are looking to utilize BGA in your project, then here are some benefits that you are likely to reap:

1. You can apply BGAs in PC chipsets, RAM devices, microprocessors, microcontrollers et cetera.
2. BGAs have low inductance power planes that support various designs that utilize high frequencies.
3. They support a pretty high pin count
4. They have impeccable thermal compatibility
5. You can get BGAs at a low price
6. PBGA supports impeccable thermal performance
7. TBGA and CBGA both support better dissipation of heat when you compare them to the PBGA type
8. BGA has auto registration capabilities
9. BGAs have a current distribution that reduces IR drops.

Drawbacks of utilizing BGAs

Even though BGAs have many advantages, they still have some drawbacks, which include:

1. TBGA and PBGAs are super sensitive to moisture (humidity) – therefore, if you store these components wrongly, then you might damage them
2. CBGA type – this BGA has thermal compatibility that is simply bad. It is also expensive, and its auto-registration capability is inadequate.
3. TBGA – this BGA’s reliability is relatively low.

BGA pitch

Every BGA component has some solder balls that you can utilize to create solder bonds. These solder balls have a center. Hence, BGA pitch is simply the space that exists in between two neighboring BGA ball centers. Or, in simpler terms, the distance between two adjacent BGA ball centers.

Most smartphones have micro BGAs, which have a BGA pitch of 0.3mm. However, these are not the tiniest BGAs in the market today. Ultra-fine Ball Grid Arrays are now making their way into the market. These BGAs have a BGA pitch of 0.2 mm, making them super small. You can hence utilize them to make extra small gadgets.

Important pitch parts to note

BGA components attach onto Print Circuit Boards to work. However, this connection is not random. Each ball connects to a PCB via a particular part under a specific pitch.

1. Land – The land is where you position device balls before soldering them onto the PCB. Land spacing has to correspond to the BGA pitch of a specific device.
2. Fan outs – Fan outs are the traces that exist in between a via and a device land.
3. Via – Vias distribute the inputs and outputs, grounds, and powers from a device to various peripherals. Every land has a single via.

These are the most crucial parts to consider when looking at BGA pitch.

SMD (solder masked defined) pads

SMD pads are simply pads that manufacturers utilize for gadgets that bear a pitch of 0.5mm or less. These BGA pitches are commonly known as finer pitched BGAs.

However, you should note that the design guidelines of fine pitch BGAs differ from those of BGAs with a pitch of 0.5mm.

Tip to help you understand BGA pitch better

When working with a pitch of 0.5mm or more, you should utilize NSMD (non-solder-mask-defined) pad for the device. They are more efficient, and the output is more optimal. However, if you use these same guidelines on a BGA with a pitch of 0.3mm, the result might be catastrophic. The device might fail during the manufacturing phase or while in use. Either way, mixing up these two guidelines leads to a bad ending.

If you are working with a BGA having a pitch of 0.3mm, utilize SMD (solder masked define) pads. These pads provide more soldering areas, which lower the chances of there being a solder short.

When dealing with BGAs that have a fine pitch, you should significantly consider the PCB layout. Messing up the layout might ruin the board’s assembly and fabrication. The net result of this is a PCB that does not function right or at all.

However, as seen earlier, 0.3mm is not the finest BGA pitch in the market today. You can now purchase a BGA with a pitch of 0.2.

When working with a BGE having a pitch of 0.2mm, you should opt to utilize via-in-pad tech. That is because, when working with this pitch, you do not get room to undertake a dog-bone type fan-out.

Conclusion

BGAs have become part of the modern world. As per the 21^st century, most gadgets in the market utilize this gadget for better performance at a cut cost. However, when reaching for these two factors, manufacturers achieve even more. They get a package that has excellent thermal compatibility and impeccable electrical performance. However, issues such as the BGA pitch arise and puzzle many people. But after reading this article, we hope that you have gotten an idea of what the BGA pitch entails and how it works.