China BGA assembly lines involve rapid and conveyorized machines that enable mass production with high-yield and quality products. Surface Mount Technology, or SMT, is a revolutionary assembly method that was developed because of the drive towards shrinking the size of electronic devices.

What is Ball-Grid Array Assembly?

Ball-grid array packaging is a type of semiconductor packaging that enables compact and high-density circuits.  A BGA is a surface mount device wherein, instead of leads and protruding terminals, an array of solder balls is used for interconnection. In a BGA package, a silicon chip is attached to a substrate and then wire-bonded to the bonding pads of the substrate. The bottom side of the substrate contains the solder balls which are attached to printed circuit boards. A molding compound is used to encapsulate the silicon chip, wires, and package substrate. There is also another variant called flip chip BGA wherein instead of wires, solder bumps on the chip’s underside are used to connect the chip to the substrate.

Its several advantages include superior thermal management and excellent electrical performance, making it a primary choice for several applications such as automotive and consumer electronics. China BGA assembly suppliers are the top choice for universal customers. The following steps are the series of processes during the assembly of the Ball Grid Array PCB:

• Stencil Printing. SMT process begins by printing the solder paste on the bare PCB. The machine can recognize the fiducial marks during alignment and identify the pads to where components will be mounted. A stencil with openings is used to transfer the solder pattern to the circuit boards.
• Pick-and-Place. The BGA component is picked and transferred to the PCB and positioned into the pads with wet paste. The accurate placement of the BGA packages on the PCB is very important to prevent adjacent components from bridging.
• Solder Reflow. The PCBs with mounted BGAs are heated inside a reflow oven following a specific temperature profile to melt and cure the solder paste. BGA PCB defects often arise due to incorrect thermal profiles resulting in solder voids and insufficient wetting.
• AOI and X-ray Inspection. Both Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) and X-ray inspection processes are vital to the quality of BGA PCB assembly. AOI can detect more obvious defects that can easily be seen by the camera system of the machine while x-ray machines are able to detect defects underneath the components such as solder voiding.

What are the applications of BGA PCB Assembly?

Different applications reap the benefits of small and fast BGA components. Below are some of the common market segments that utilize BGA PCB. China BGA assembly suppliers can reallize all these products for the customers.

• Laptops and Computers. Central Processing Units or CPUs and motherboards consist of thermally efficient and high-density BGA PCB.
• Mobile Phones and wearables. The compact size of the latest gadgets demand for smaller packages such as BGAs.
• Automotive Devices. Modern vehicles have embedded systems containing BGA PCBs due to their reliability and sleek dimensions.
• Medical Electronics. Portable systems and wearables in medical electronics have advanced BGA PCB due to its thermal performance and small form factor.
• Telecommunications. The improved signal integrity offered by BGA PCB makes it a popular choice for telecommunications devices. They are widely used in routers, radars and satellite stations.                

What’s in Store for the Future of BGA Assembly?

Looking back on the history of printed circuit boards, the technology has come a long way with improved performance like better heat dissipation, a thinner and lighter form factor, and low dielectric loss.

• Higher Pin Count Packages- Miniaturization is an ongoing trend which means smaller devices will be emerging in the markets while having multiple functionalities. Solder mask uniformity will have increased significance in ensuring the accurate placement of BGA components. Land pattern designs are optimized to cater to higher I/O requirements. The influence of PCB design on assembly will become more important thus the need for sophisticated software simulations.
• Increased China Assembly Capabilities- With the ever-increasing density of components and reduced package dimensions, SMT machines are expected to adapt to the changing complexity of design. SMT machines will be faster with higher throughput despite diverse types and sizes of components. The alignment accuracies will also be improved resulting in better yields.  AOI machines will have more advanced inspection capabilities to yield off parts that fail in criteria. With the incorporation of data analytics and machine learning, inspection algorithms are optimized to inspect critical defects for BGA devices such as insufficient solder, non-wetting and solder bridging.
• Improved Design for Manufacturing (DFM)– Fixing gaps in the design early is one of the goals of DFM or Design for Manufacturing. DFM is an important tool now and will continue to have an important role in the future of BGA assembly. The execution of DFM will become more intelligent with the utilization of comprehensive software alongside the progressing expertise of BGA assembly companies. Open communication between design and manufacturing teams will result in better-performing BGA PCB assembly products. DFM will also help to reduce costs, improve quality, and enhance manufacturing robustness.
• Preparedness for Substrate and Material Inventory Shortage– Resilience is one of the key attributes of BGA assembly services. Fluctuations in the supply of critical direct materials such as BGA substrates and semiconductor chips are unavoidable. These uncertainties are included in PCB companies’ long-term planning. In the future, these unwanted shortages are still likely to impact final PCB prices and the overall supply chain. Despite that, BGA assembly services are always prepared for these types of scenarios through alternative parts and supplier sourcing and securing sufficient inventories.
• Continuous Price Competitiveness– In the long run, BGA assembly services in China are still projected to be above the rest in offering competitive pricing. The convenient policies, subsidies and taxation imposed by the Chinese government will remain attractive to foreign and domestic customers. With the establishment of business and manufacturing centers in many areas in China, products and services will still be the top choice for many customers.
• Integration of Smart Manufacturing– China’s BGA assembly is still seen to intensify the integration of smart manufacturing in the coming years. Smart manufacturing provides advanced solutions such as real-time tracking, automation, and predictive maintenance of machines. Other than that, a major impact of smart manufacturing also includes sustainability due to reduced production waste.