QFN (Quad Flat No-Lead) seems to be increasingly prevalent in IC packaging within the electronics industry today. Its small size, akin to Chip Scale Package (CSP) packaging, coupled with its cost-effectiveness, makes it a favorable choice. QFN boasts high yield rates in the IC production process and offers superior coplanarity and heat dissipation capabilities, particularly beneficial for high-speed and power management circuits.
Moreover, QFN packages eliminate the need to extend pins from all four sides, thus enhancing electrical performance compared to leaded packages. Traditional IC packages like Small Outline (SO) necessitate side pin extraction. Despite QFN’s electrical and functional advantages, its adoption poses significant challenges to circuit board assembly plants in terms of soldering quality. Due to its leadless design, identifying solder joints on QFNs can be inherently challenging, impacting the assessment of solderability.
Although QFN packages retain solder pads on their sides, certain IC packaging companies opt to expose the cut surface of the lead frame without applying electroplating. Consequently, soldering on the sides of QFNs becomes problematic, as these areas are prone to oxidation over time, complicating the soldering process.
Moreover, QFN packages eliminate the need to extend pins from all four sides, thus enhancing electrical performance compared to leaded packages. Traditional IC packages like Small Outline (SO) necessitate side pin extraction. Despite QFN’s electrical and functional advantages, its adoption poses significant challenges to circuit board assembly plants in terms of soldering quality. Due to its leadless design, identifying solder joints on QFNs can be inherently challenging, impacting the assessment of solderability.
Although QFN packages retain solder pads on their sides, certain IC packaging companies opt to expose the cut surface of the lead frame without applying electroplating. Consequently, soldering on the sides of QFNs becomes problematic, as these areas are prone to oxidation over time, complicating the soldering process.