Method for increasing device reliability by selectively depopulating solder balls from a foot print of a ball grid array (BGA) package, and device so modified

摘要

A routing technique for improving device reliability by selectively depopulating solder balls (12) (and their respective solder ball pads (34), vias (32) and traces or lines (30)) from a conventional foot print of a ball grid array (BGA) package, and a BGA package so modified. The routing technique uses the gap resulting from the depopulated solder balls as additional space for routing traces or lines from solder ball pads to an exterior surface of a substrate (14) upon which a semiconductor die (20) is mounted. An advantage of the present invention is that it permits the retention of an optimum via diameter while increasing the number of solder balls on ever shrinking packages, thereby increasing device reliability.