A recent report analyzing delivery time length and prices of laminate flip chip build-up substrates found that increased demand for the substrate in 2005 created supply deficiencies. TechSearch International, who created the report, expects the problem to continue through 2006, and possibly into 2007 and 2008 as well. Production capacities for build-up FC-PBGA, wire bond PBGA, and laminate chip scale packages (CSP) substrates require substantial qualification time &#151 typically about 25 weeks &#151 prior to shipment. The report asserted that engineering evaluation takes around two weeks, build about eight, and a final test process takes 15 weeks. The flip chip substrate industry has responded to the shortage by increasing capacity volumes, and devising improved tools for test.

The Correct-A-Chip ball grid array (BGA) adapter enables an operator to mount a 0.8-mm pitch device to a PCB assembled for 1.0-mm-pitch devices. The bottom of the adapter mounts to a PCB with a BGA pad footprint of 1.0-mm pitch, while the top accepts BGA devices with 0.8-mm pitch. The 16 &#215 16 array (256) BGA adapter from Aries Electronics measures 0.650 in². Its construction consists of a 0.040 FR-4 material with 0.020 ” diameter tin/lead (63/37%) solder balls. The immersion gold over electroless nickel (ENIG) PCB plating is composed of 3 &#150 8 &#181″ gold (per IPC-4552) over 100 &#181″ minimum nickel (per ASTM0B-733). The adapter’s solder mask is black liquid photo imagable (LPI). It operates at a continuous 221&#176F. Custom options are available. Aries Electronics, Frenchtown, NJ, www.arieselec.com.