Flatpack is a US military standardized printed-circuit-board surface-mount-component package. The military standard MIL-STD-1835C defines: Flat package (FP). A rectangular or square package with leads parallel to base plane attached on two opposing sides of the package periphery. The standard further defines different types with varying parameters which includes package body material,

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output dev ...

location, package outline,

lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...

form and terminal count. The main vehicle for testing of high reliability flatpack packages has been MIL-PRF-38534 (General Specification for Hybrid Microcircuits). This document outlines the general requirements of fully assembled devices, whether they are single chip, multichip, or of hybrid technology. The test procedures of these requirements are found in

MIL-STD-883 The MIL-STD-883 standard establishes uniform methods, controls, and procedures for testing microelectronic devices suitable for use within military and aerospace electronic systems including basic environmental tests to determine resistance to dele ...

(Test Methods and Procedures for Microelectronics) as a listing of test methods. These methods cover various aspects of the minimum requirements that a microelectronics device must be able to attain before it is considered a compliant device.

History

The original flatpack was invented by Y. Tao in 1962 while he was working for

Texas Instruments Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) is an American technology company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, that designs and manufactures semiconductors and various integrated circuits, which it sells to electronics designers and manufacturers globall ...

to improve heat dissipation. The

dual in-line package In microelectronics, a dual in-line package (DIP or DIL), is an electronic component package with a rectangular housing and two parallel rows of electrical connecting pins. The package may be through-hole mounted to a printed circuit board (P ...

would be invented two years later. The first devices measured 1/4inch by 1/8inch (3.2mm by 6.4mm) and had 10 leads.Dummer, G.W.A. ''Electronic Inventions and Discoveries'' 2nd ed. Pergamon Press The flat package was smaller and lighter than the round

TO-5 In electronics, TO-5 is a designation for a standardized metal semiconductor package used for transistors and some integrated circuits. The ''TO'' element stands for "transistor outline" and refers to a series of technical drawings produced by JED ...

style transistor packages previously used for integrated circuits. Round packages were limited to 10 leads. Integrated circuits needed more leads to take full advantage of increasing device density. Since flat packages were made of glass, ceramic and metal, they could provide hermetic seals for circuits, protecting them from moisture and corrosion. Flat packs remained popular for military and aerospace applications long after plastic packages became standard for other application areas.

References

Chip carriers {{electronics-stub

History

See also

References