Semiconductor Mounting During PCB Assembly

As technology advances, PCB components - such as semiconductors - evolve to meet new needs and demands. Semiconductor structures have become more complex to offer additional utilities and functions. By necessity, their packing has become more complex as well. (Semiconductor packaging is a metal, plastic, glass or ceramic casing containing one or more semiconductor components.) These various packing types also dictate the necessary mounting technique for various semiconductor structures. Your Northern New Jersey PCB assembly service should be equipped to meet all your mounting needs.

Photo: Dennis Haslam, Flickr Creative Commons

As technology advances, PCB components - such as semiconductors - evolve to meet new needs and demands. Semiconductor structures have become more complex to offer additional utilities and functions. By necessity, their packing has become more complex as well. (Semiconductor packaging is a metal, plastic, glass or ceramic casing containing one or more semiconductor components.) These various packing types also dictate the necessary mounting technique for various semiconductor structures. Your Northern New Jersey PCB assembly service should be equipped to meet all your mounting needs.

Mounting Types in Semiconductors

Through Hole Mounting - In this mounting technique, the various components have lead wires that are fed through pre-drilled holes on the board (or boards, in the case of multilayer PCBs). The leads are then soldered in place to mount them permanently. This technique is useful in:

• Single in-line packaging (SIP)
• Zig-zag in-line packaging (ZIP)
• Dual in-line packing (DIP)
• Glass sealed ceramic DIP (CERDIP)
• Molded DIP (MDIP)
• And more

Surface Mounting - Developed in the 80’s, surface mount technology (SMT) is a technique that allows more components to be placed into a smaller area. The component leads are soldered directly onto the PCB surface, allowing both sides of the board to carry components, unlike through-hole boards. This is useful in:

• Column grid array (CGA)
• Ceramic package (CERPACK)
• Lead-less lead-frame package (LLP)
• Land grid array (LGA)
• And more

Choosing Between Through-Hole and Surface Mount Technology When Mounting Semiconductors

Both surface mount technology and through-hole technology have their advantages and drawbacks. This is a brief summary of their differences:

• SMT solves the space problem inherent with through-hole technology (THT), allowing components to be placed closer together and on both sides of the board.
• The components in THT are larger than those of SMT, leading to lower component density per unit area. Ergo, SMT allows for much higher packaging density.
• SMT is perfectly suited to high volume production, creating a lower cost per unit than with through-hole technology.
• SMT reduces size while increasing circuit speed. High-performing, small circuits are a key market demand.
• The capital investment involved in SMT machinery and production is much higher than with THT.
• The design, production, skill, and technology required for SMT is also quite advanced compared with through-hole technology.

As you can see, on the whole, surface mount technology offers more benefits than through-hole technology. However, THT remains a staple during testing and prototype builds since it allows for manual adjustments and replacements of components.

Expert PCB Assembly in Northern New Jersey

When choosing a PCB assembly service that offers surface mount technology in Northern New Jersey, you want to know that you are choosing an experienced partner. With over 35 years in the industry, Telan Corporation offers state-of-the-art equipment and an expert staff to meet all your Northern New Jersey PCB assembly needs. Call today and ask what Telan can do for you.