The Knowledge Base: Beyond the Badge—Why Membership Matters More Than Ever
Smart Automation: AI—Revolutionizing Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
Standard of Excellence: The Role of Technology in Enhancing the Customer Experience
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
See TopLine’s Next Gen Braided Solder Column Technology at SPACE TECH EXPO 2025
05/28/2025 | TopLineAerospace and Defense applications in demanding environments have a solution now in TopLine’s Braided Solder Columns, which can withstand the rigors of deep space cold and cryogenic environments.
INEMI Interim Report: Interconnection Modeling and Simulation Results for Low-Temp Materials in First-Level Interconnect
05/30/2025 | iNEMIOne of the greatest challenges of integrating different types of silicon, memory, and other extended processing units (XPUs) in a single package is in attaching these various types of chips in a reliable way.
E-tronix Announces Upcoming Webinar with ELMOTEC: Optimizing Soldering Quality and Efficiency with Robotic Automation
05/30/2025 | E-tronixE-tronix, a Stromberg Company, is excited to host an informative webinar presented by Raphael Luchs, CEO of ELMOTEC, titled "Optimize Soldering Quality and Efficiency with Robotic Automation," taking place on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM CDT.
CE3S Launches EcoClaim Solutions to Simplify Recycling and Promote Sustainable Manufacturing
05/29/2025 | CE3SCumberland Electronics Strategic Supply Solutions (CE3S), your strategic sourcing, professional solutions and distribution partner, is proud to announce the official launch of EcoClaim™ Solutions, a comprehensive recycling program designed to make responsible disposal of materials easier, more efficient, and more accessible for manufacturers.
Indium to Feature Precision Gold-Based Die-Attach Preforms at IMS 2025
05/29/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation® will feature its high-reliability, gold-based precision die-attach preforms for critical laser and RF applications, as well as 5G communications, at the International Microwave Symposium, June 15-19, in San Francisco, CA.