Contents
Can a PCB be connected to an exposed pad?
Some pads must be connected to the ground plane, some must be electrically disconnected, and some accommodate both options. If the exposed pad is intended to provide significant power dissipation, the PCB designer should add vias from the exposed pad’s land area to a copper polygon on the other side of the PCB.
Which is IC package incorporates an exposed thermal pad?
This technical brief discusses thermal design techniques for IC packages—such as QFN, DFN, and MLP—that incorporate an exposed thermal pad. This technical brief discusses thermal design techniques for IC packages—such as QFN, DFN, and MLP—that incorporate an exposed thermal pad.
How is the solder coverage of an exposed pad determined?
The overall solder coverage (i.e., the ratio of solder area to exposed-pad area, here expressed as a percentage) can be controlled by adjusting the geometry of the matrix—assuming that you know what the overall coverage should be.
Is the land pattern of an exposed pad correct?
The pad’s land pattern must be the correct size identified in the package drawing. The exposed pad can be connected to a larger plane for increased thermal dissipation, but the pad itself must be the correct size to ensure proper soldering of the IC.
Why do ICs have an exposed pad package?
Abstract: Many ICs have exposed pad packages to increase the maximum power dissipation. The stated power dissipation for packages with exposed pads always assumes the exposed pad is soldered to the PCB. This application note provides guidance on the benefits and proper user of the exposed pad.
Is the exposed pad connected to the ground?
In most applications, the exposed pad is connected to ground, but take care to verify this on every device. A blind assumption here can provide a low-impedance short that can take many hours to analyze and a PCB revision to correct. The pad’s dimensions come from the package drawing.
What is a pad in PCB design and development?
What is a pad in PCB design? A pad is the exposed region of metal on a circuit board that the component lead is soldered to. Multiple pads in conjunction are used to generate the component footprint or land pattern on the PCB. The two types of pads available are through-hole and surface mount pads.