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What Are the Differences Between Flip Chips & BGAs?

One of the most influential technological advances of the 20th century was the integrated circuit, according to EE Times. ICs have long been responsible for powering a staggering array of devices and machines. During the early years of the IC, wires were used to bind electrical components to circuit boards and other electrical substrates. During the second half of the 20th century, however, different kinds of IC bonding systems were developed. Two of those systems are the flip chip and the BGA.

The Flip Chip
- The flip chip is the electrical connection that was introduced in the early 1960s, first used by IBM, and that now seems to be replacing wire bonding. The flip chip system involves electricity-conducting chips arranged facedown on a circuit board or other electronic carrier. Each chip is affixed directly to this substrate. Conductive bumps on the board are employed to do the actual attaching. And thus, no wire bonds are needed in this kind of an IC.
Advantages of the Flip Chip
- One advantage of the flip chip is that it's shorter and smaller than other kinds of electrical circuits, thus saving room. In fact, flip chips can reduce a circuit board's space requirement by 95 percent. Also, these chips are fast-performing, offering quick connections. That is because, without bond wires, the path that the electrical energy has to take is much shorter. In addition, a flip chip is manufactured as an epoxy block, which means it's strong and resistant to damage. And not least, flip chips are economical.
The Ball Grid Array
- The Ball Grid Array, also known as the BGA, is distinguishable from the flip chip system by its series of metallic spheres arranged on a substrate. These spheres, or balls, are made out of solder and allow for electrical interconnection. Some BGAs are attached to a circuit board or other substrate the same way flip chips are, but others utilize the other wire-bonding method of connection which flip chips never employ.
Advantages and Disadvantages of BGA
- A key advantage of the BGA is the ease with which it can be assembled. As SiliconFarEast.com describes it, these balls practically "self-align" when they're mounted onto a substrate. Other advantages, according to Freescale.com, are that the BGA is relatively affordable, reliable and versatile enough to power everything from automobile components to handheld electronic devices. One drawback to the BGA, however, is that once the balls have been attached to a board, it's difficult to examine this system for defects.

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