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Chip Carrier Packages

Authors:
Geoffrey Hunter
Geoffrey Hunter
Published On:
Dec 6, 2024
Last Updated:
Dec 6, 2024

Chip carrier packages are a family of large SMD packages that hold ICs with leads on all four sides of the package. One of the most common variants is the PLCC package with J leads. As of 2024, chip carrier packages are not commonly used, and have been largely replaced by QFP, QFN and BGA packages when it comes to housing ICs.

One area it still remains popular for is when you need a swappable IC (as it is easy to make sockets for), such as read-only memory (ROM).

Variants

There are lots of variants in the chip carrier family, including:1

  • BCC (Bump Chip Carrier)
  • LCC (Leaded Chip Carrier)
  • LCCC (Leaded Ceramic Chip Carrier)
  • PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier): The most common variant.

PLCC

The plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC) package as shown in This is a placeholder for the reference: fig-plcc-3d-render is likely the most common variant of chip carrier package. They often have a square body, but can be rectangular. All the ones I have come across have a pitch of 1.27mm.

A 3D render of a PLCC package.2

The JEDEC trade group started a task force in 1981 to standardise the PLCC package. The MO-047 standard was released in 1984 for square PLCC packages and the MO-052 standard was released in 1985 for rectangular packages.1 You can purchase sockets for PLCC packages, both through-hole and SMD versions. A through-hole PLCC socket is shown in This is a placeholder for the reference: fig-adam-tech-plcc-socket-plcc-52-at.

The Adam Tech PLCC-52-AT, a through-hole 52-lead PLCC socket.3

Synonyms

  • FN: Texas Instruments package code for the PLCC.4

There are some weird versions of the PLCC, for example the Infineon Technologies IR2131JTRPBF gate driver IC shown in This is a placeholder for the reference: fig-ir2131jtrpbf-plcc44-missing-leads. It is a PLCC44 package, but some of the leads are missing, and the leads tuck into little recesses in the bottom side of the package.

A Infineon Technologies IR2131JTRPBF gate driver IC in the PLCC44 package. Note that some of the leads are missing, and the leads tuck into little recesses in the bottom side of the package!5

Similar To

  • QFP: QFP is another SMD package commonly used for ICs, but has gull-wing leads instead of J leads.
  • SOJ: SOJ is another SMD package that uses J leads, but only on 2 sides of the package.

Footnotes

  1. Wikipedia (2024, Oct 25). Chip carrier. Retrieved 2024-12-06, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_carrier. ↩ ↩2

  2. Ebay, nineveh. IC CHIP package PLCC-44 ORIGINAL OEM PARTS [product listing]. Retrieved 2024-12-07, from https://www.ebay.com/itm/273980251251. ↩

  3. DigiKey. Connectors, Interconnects > Sockets for ICs, Transistors > IC Sockets > Adam Tech PLCC-52-AT [product listing]. Retrieved 2024-12-07, from https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/adam-tech/PLCC-52-AT/9833068. ↩

  4. Texas Instruments (2017, Apr). FN 20 - PLCC - 4.57mm max height. Retrieved 2024-12-07, from https://www.ti.com/lit/ml/mpqc018a/mpqc018a.pdf. ↩

  5. DigiKey. Integrated Circuits (ICs) > Power Management (PMIC) > Gate Drivers > Infineon Technologies IR2131JTRPBF [product page]. Retrieved 2024-12-06, from https://www.digikey.co.nz/en/products/detail/infineon-technologies/IR2131JTRPBF/1928462. ↩