TRYEngineering 2024 - 12

STEP 12
Packaging
Just as you would protect a delicate sculpture with bubble wrap, you
need to keep microchips safe. Electronic packaging, like bubble wrap,
protects the chip from damage and maintains its connection to the
device's main board, also known as the printed circuit board (PCB).
A PCB is a special board that connects all the electronic parts in your
gadgets without using messy wires. It's like a map of a city: the streets
are like thin metal lines on the board called traces, and the houses
are like the parts that do different jobs, like making sounds or showing
pictures. Similar to a chip, it consists of multiple layers!
You can connect the package by either inserting it into a socket (socket
mount) or directly soldering (soldering is joining metal items by melting
a filler metal (called solder) at the joint where they meet) it to the
board's surface (surface mount). This packaging is essentially a sturdy
little case for the chip, complete with a network of fine wires and
connections. These connections are like the chip's own mini-internet,
allowing it to communicate with other parts of the device,
ensuring everything works together seamlessly.
THINK: What kinds of material do you think the packaging
is made of, and why? Research to confirm.
tryengineering.org/semiconductors // semiconductors.ieee.org/

https://tryengineering.org/?page_id=29657&preview=true https://semiconductors.ieee.org/

TRYEngineering 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of TRYEngineering 2024