Flexible Thinking: The Key to a Successful Flex Circuit Design Transfer
Happy’s Tech Talk #29: Bend-to-Install Semi-flex FR-4
TopLine Introduces Braided Columns as Drop-in Replacement for BGA Solder Balls
June 17, 2024 | TopLineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
TopLine Corporation announces the introduction of braided solder columns as a drop-in replacement for solder spheres used in Ball Grid Array (BGA) components. “Traditional Ball Grid Array (BGA) spheres have a history of failing in large sized BGA packages due to thermal stress and CTE mismatch,” TopLine CEO Martin Hart states.
Recognizing this weakness, TopLine has developed a family of Braided Solder Columns especially suited for cryogenic environments and next generation applications, replacing solder balls on IC packages of varying sizes. These columns provide improved reliability and thermal properties over competing technologies. Solder balls and heritage copper wrapped solder columns are not equal to the task. Hart already holds multiple patents in the field of column grid arrays.
This new generation of non-collapsible, RoHS compliant Lead-Free Copper Braided Solder Columns are designed to absorb destructive strain caused by differences in the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of materials between large sized heterogeneous 2.5D packages and FR4 printed circuit boards (PCB). This novel solder column technology is intended to replace solder balls typically found on ball grid array (BGA) packages as literally a drop-in replacement.
These next generation non-collapsible lead-free copper braided solder columns absorb destructive strain (stress) caused by differences in CTE between the chip package and the PCB. Its cylindrical shape and mechanical compliancy enable solder columns to support large packages, analogous to the way palm trees flex on a windy day without breaking. “With the industry trending to design larger and larger heterogeneous 2.5D BGA packages to meet the massive processing needs of AI and data centers,” Hart says, “BGA packages have an increasing potential for solder balls to crack and delaminate, resulting in catastrophic failure of the system. These new columns can prevent that stress-induced damage.”
Share on:
Suggested Items
Indium’s Karthik Vijay to Present on Dual Alloy Solder Paste Systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/06/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Karthik Vijay will deliver a technical presentation on dual alloy solder paste systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference, May 20-22 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
SolderKing Achieves the Prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
05/06/2025 | SolderKingSolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd, a leading British manufacturer of high-performance soldering materials and consumables, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise, one of the UK’s most respected business honours.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
05/07/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileIn electronic assemblies, the integrity of connections between components is paramount for ensuring reliability and performance. Gold embrittlement and dissolution are two critical phenomena that can compromise this integrity. Gold embrittlement occurs when gold diffuses into solder joints or alloys, resulting in mechanical brittleness and an increased susceptibility to cracking. Conversely, gold dissolution involves the melting away of gold into solder or metal matrices, potentially altering the electrical and mechanical properties of the joint.
'Chill Out' with TopLine’s President Martin Hart to Discuss Cold Electronics at SPWG 2025
05/02/2025 | TopLineBraided Solder Columns can withstand the rigors of deep space cold and cryogenic environments, and represent a robust new solution to challenges facing next generation large packages in electronics assembly.
BEST Inc. Reports Record Demand for EZReball BGA Reballing Process
05/01/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, is pleased to announce they are experiencing record demand for their EZReball™ BGA reballing process which greatly simplifies the reballing of ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) devices.