A Process to Produce Low Cost Solder Balls in Custom Sizes

Use of solder balls as component– and package-to-substrate interconnect media has proliferated with the increasing need for the miniaturization of electronic devices. Solder balls are either manufactured on the pads of devices or packages where they are needed, or pre-manufactured individual solder balls are dispensed on the pads and reflowed to make a bump. Pre-manufactured solder balls require special equipment for manufacture, need tight tolerances, and thus are expensive. They come in standard sizes and are hard to obtain in custom sizes when needed.

A method is described to make custom-size individual solder balls using ordinary SMT equipment without special tooling. Ability to make custom-sized solder balls inexpensively can help expedite research and development projects with savings on total cost of the projects.