IP Library › Granted Patent US 12690480

Granted Patent B1

US 12690480 · App. 18/543,479 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Method for depositive modification of ball grid array (BGA) components soldered to circuit board

Inventors: Jason Paulsen (Robins, IA); Nathaniel T. Oster (Marion, IA); Nathan Van Schaick (Marion, IA); Mary L. Detweiler (Williamsburg, IA); Jodee Mae Ross (Cedar Rapids, IA)

Assignee: Rockwell Collins, Inc.

H10W72/019 H10D1/47 H10D1/68 H10W70/05 H10W70/654 H10W72/29

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12690480
App. No.: 18/543,479
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B1

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Abstract

A method for modifying a ball grid array (BGA) component for attachment to a host circuit board includes exposing a set of contact points, and connective paths between the contact points, on the surface of the BGA component. Connections between the contact points are modified (e.g., reworking damaged connections, adding connections overlooked in the design phase or missed in the build phase) by printing or depositing functional materials (e.g., conductive, dielectric, resistive) along paths between the exposed contact points, e.g., via aerosol jetting. If the BGA component is already soldered to a host circuit board, the component is first desoldered and detached prior to modification. After deposition of functional materials, the BGA component is treated to cure the materials and achieve any desired electrical properties associated with the materials and/or modification.

Claims (78)

1 . A method for modifying a ball grid array (BGA) component, the method comprising:

providing the BGA component for attachment to a circuit board by a plurality of solder balls;

exposing at least two contact points, and at least one path between the at least two contact points, on the BGA component;

modifying at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing at least one functional material along the at least one path via a depositive process;

and

processing the BGA component to achieve one or more electrical properties associated with the at least one functional material.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via an aerosol jetting process.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

creating an electrical connection between the at least two contact points by printing at least one conductive material along the at least one path.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

establishing at least one of a pull-up resistor or a pull-down resistor between the at least two contact points by printing at least one resistive material along the at least one path.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

establishing a multi-layer connection between the at least two contact points by:

printing a first layer of the at least one functional material along the at least one path;

and

printing at least one second layer of the at least one functional material at least partially over the first layer.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing the multi-layer connection between the at least two contact points includes:

establishing at least one capacitor along a path between the at least two contact points by:

printing at least one conductive material along a first portion of the path;

printing at least one dielectric material over a second portion of the conductive material;

and

printing the at least one conductive material along the path and over the first and second portions.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein establishing a multi-layer trace between the at least two contact points includes:

modifying a first path between the at least two contact points;

and

modifying a second path between the at least two contact points, the second path crossing the first path at a crossing point, by:

printing a first layer of the at least one functional material along the first path;

printing at least one insulating material over the first layer at the crossing point;

and

printing a second layer of the at least one functional material along the second path and over the at least one insulating material at the crossing point.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

exposing the at least two contact points, and the at least one path between the at least two contact points, on the BGA component includes:

exposing at least one indirect path connecting the at least two first contact points, wherein the at least two first contact points are not directly adjacent to each other and wherein one or more second contact points impede a straight-line path between the at least two first contact points;

and

wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

printing the at least one functional material along the at least one indirect path.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one connection between the at least two contact points by printing the at least one functional material along the at least one path via the depositive process includes:

printing the at least one functional material along at least one path between a first contact point and a second contact point not corresponding to a shortest path between the first and second contact points.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein exposing the at least two contact points, and the at least one path between the at least two contact points, on the BGA component includes at least one of:

removing at least one solder ball covering the at least two contact points;

detaching the BGA component from the circuit board.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

re-attaching the processed BGA component to the circuit board.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the BGA component to achieve the one or more electrical properties associated with the at least one functional material includes:

thermally treating the at least one functional material to achieve the one or more electrical properties.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the BGA component to achieve the one or more electrical properties associated with the at least one functional material includes:

exposing the at least one functional material to at least one of electromagnetic (EM) radiation or a chemical environment to achieve the one or more electrical properties.

14 . A modified ball grid array (BGA) system, the modified BGA system comprising:

a ball grid array (BGA) component including a plurality of contact points;

wherein the BGA component includes at least one modified connection between two or more first contact points of the plurality of contact points, the at least one modified connection fashioned by:

exposing the two or more first contact points and at least one path between the two or more first contact points;

creating the at least one modified connection by printing, via at least one depositive process, at least one functional material along the at least one path;

and

processing the BGA component to achieve at least one electrical property associated with the at least one functional material.

15 . The modified BGA system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one depositive process includes an aerosol jetting process.

16 . The modified BGA system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one modified connection includes a multi-layer connection comprising:

at least one first layer of the at least one functional material printed along the at least one path;

and

at least one second layer of the at least one functional material printed at least partially over the at least one first layer, each second layer associated with at least one second corrective material.

17 . The modified BGA system of claim 16 , wherein:

the at least one first layer is printed along a first path;

wherein the at least one second layer is printed along a second path, the first path and the second path crossing at one or more crossover points;

and

wherein at least one insulating material is printed over the at least one first layer at the one or more crossover points, the at least one second layer printed over the at least one insulating material.

18 . The modified BGA system of claim 14 , wherein exposing the two or more first contact points and at least one path between the two or more first contact points includes at least one of:

removing at least one solder ball covering the at least two first contact points;

detaching the BGA component from a circuit board.

19 . The modified BGA system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one path includes one or more of:

a path between at least two first contact points not directly adjacent to each other;

a path between two contact points that does not correspond to the shortest path between the two contact points.

20 . The modified BGA system of claim 14 , wherein processing the at least one BGA component includes at least one of:

thermally treating the at least one functional material;

exposing the at least one functional material to a chemical environment;

or exposing the at least one functional material to electromagnetic (EM) radiation.