Steven Kummerl
Texas Instruments

The PowerPAD thermally enhanced package provides greater design flexibility and increased thermal efficiency in a standard size device package. PowerPAD's improved performance permits higher clock speeds, more compact systems and more aggressive design criteria. PowerPAD packages are available in several standard surface mount configurations. They can be mounted using standard printed circuit board (PCB) assembly techniques, and can be removed and replaced using standard repair procedures. To make optimum use of the thermal efficiencies designed into the PowerPAD package, the PCB must be designed with this technology in mind. In order to leverage the full thermal performance benefits offered from the PowerPad package, the exposed pad must be soldered to the board. This document focuses on the specifics of integrating a PowerPAD package into the PCB design.