Trouble in Your Tank: Organic Addition Agents in Electrolytic Copper Plating
It’s Only Common Sense: Selling During an Economic Downturn
Marcy’s Musings: Can You Hear the Voices?
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
KYZEN Focuses on Aqueous Cleaning and Stencil Cleaning at SMTA Wisconsin
04/24/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Wisconsin Expo and Tech Forum, scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 6 at the Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport. KYZEN will be on-site to provide attendees with information about aqueous cleaning chemistry AQUANOX A4618 and stencil cleaner KYZEN E5631J.
SMTA Bridging the Skills Gap in Arizona
04/24/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007One area where SMTA really excels is through its local chapters. On April 16, 2025, I-Connect007's Marcy LaRont attended the Workforce Breakfast during the SMTA Arizona Expo & Tech Forum in Mesa, which featured more than 50 electronics professionals from the local area, including defense OEMs, and others who were attending for the first time. Blackfox and Hyrel Technologies sponsored the event. The keynote presentation featured Sean Denny, a professor at Estrella Mountain Community College, who emphasized a clear need for skilled hand soldering technicians.
IPC Releases Version 2.0 of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange, with Expanded Device Coverage and Smarter Data
04/23/2025 | IPCIPC announces the release of IPC-2591, Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), Version 2.0, the global standard for plug-and-play, machine-to-machine, and machine-to-system communication for digital manufacturing.
ViTrox Marks 25 Years of Innovation with Cutting-Edge Solutions at NEPCON China 2025 in Shanghai
04/18/2025 | ViTrox TechnologiesViTrox, which aims to be the World’s Most Trusted Technology Company, is proud to announce its participation in NEPCON China 2025, taking place from April 22–24, 2025, at Booth #1E45, Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Centre (SWEECC).
Indium Experts to Present on Power Electronics at PCIM Europe 2025
04/17/2025 | Indium CorporationAs one of the leading materials providers to the power electronics assembly and e-Mobility industries, Indium Corporation experts will share their technical insight and knowledge on a variety of industry-related topics throughout PCIM Europe, May 6-8, in Nuremberg, Germany.