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CPUShack
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Posts: 34259
Location: State of Jefferson, USA
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 Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| jackofhearts wrote: | | Newbie question, what is the significance of the grey traces here - is it an earlier production method? |
Yup, molydium used for the traces shows through the early white ceramic
Later packages were built different
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DM8800er
Joined: 28 Jun 2012
Posts: 279
Location: California
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| Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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"what is the significance of the grey traces here - is it an earlier production method?"
A: I have been studying this very topic!
Grey trace chips were an alternative method of construction.
Instead of a metal 'lead frame' inside the chip carrying signals from the die to the legs the grey traces are a conductive metal layer on top that does the same job.
The traces can be made from a variety of metals... I even have some made with a layer of gold.
What I still don't know is the WHY of the alternative construction method...
Was it a faster or cheaper manufacturing process?
Or were regular chip-making facilities overwhelmed with orders, and grey trace was an alternative way of making chips without having to bury the lead frame inside the ceramic?
As far as I can tell there don't seem to be any performance differences between grey trace and regular chips... but although the Intel chips don't show this, I have some same-model AMIs where the grey trace chips are THINNER [lower profile] than the regular ones...
so perhaps sometimes to fit into tighter spaces?
or to shoot up in the air? |
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DM8800er
Joined: 28 Jun 2012
Posts: 279
Location: California
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| Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:25 pm Post subject: photo of early Fairchild gold trace chips |
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| photo of early Fairchild gold trace chip |
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