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TaiLian Electronics
Applications and Features of COB
Release time:
2026-01-21
You may have noticed that some PCBs have a black component on them. What exactly is this? We often refer to it as “soft packaging,” but its primary material is actually epoxy resin. Typically, the receiving surface of the receiver head is also made from this same material. Inside is an IC chip, and the process used to attach it is called “bonding.” This is a wiring technique employed during chip manufacturing. Its English name is COB—Chip-On-Board, meaning “chip packaging on board.” It’s one of the bare-chip mounting technologies. In this process, the chip is mounted onto an HDI PCB using epoxy resin. But why don’t some PCBs feature this type of packaging? And what are the distinctive features of this packaging? In most cases, this soft-packaging technology is adopted for cost reasons. As the simplest method for mounting bare chips, this packaging typically requires one-time molding to protect the internal IC from damage. It’s usually placed directly onto the copper foil surface of the PCB. The package has a round shape and is black in color. This packaging technology boasts several advantages: low cost, space-saving, lightweight, excellent thermal performance, and a straightforward installation process. Many integrated circuits—especially those with lower costs—only require us to extract numerous leads from the IC chip and then hand them over to the manufacturer. The manufacturer places the chip onto the PCB, uses machines to solder the leads, and finally cures and hardens the assembly with adhesive. Due to its unique characteristics, this packaging technique is also widely used in various electronic devices, such as MP3 players, electronic keyboards, digital cameras, and gaming consoles. In fact, COB soft packaging isn’t limited to just chips—it’s extensively applied to LEDs as well. For example, COB light sources represent an integrated surface-mount lighting technology where the LED chip is directly attached to a mirrored metal substrate.
You may notice that some PCB boards have a black component on them. What exactly is this? We often refer to it as “soft packaging,” but its actual composition is epoxy resin. Typically, the receiving surface of the receiver head is also made from this material. Inside is an IC chip, and the process used to attach it is called “bonding.”
This is a wiring process used in chip manufacturing. Its English name is COB (Chip-on-Board), which literally means “chip packaging on board.” It’s one of the bare-chip mounting technologies. In this process, chips are mounted onto HDI PCBs using epoxy resin. Why don’t some circuit boards feature this type of packaging? What are the distinctive features of this packaging?
In most cases, this soft-packaging technology is driven by cost considerations. As the simplest method for mounting bare chips, this type of packaging typically requires one-time molding to protect the internal IC from damage. It is usually placed directly onto the copper foil surface of the circuit board. The package has a round shape and is black in color. This packaging technology boasts advantages such as low cost, space savings, lightweight and thin design, excellent thermal performance, and a straightforward packaging process. For many integrated circuits—especially those with low costs—we simply need to extend numerous leads from the IC chip, hand them over to the manufacturer, place the chip onto the circuit board, use a machine to solder the leads, and then secure and harden them with adhesive.
Due to its unique characteristics, this type of packaging is also used in various electronic circuits, such as MP3 players, electronic keyboards, digital cameras, and game consoles. In fact, COB soft packaging is not limited to chips—it is widely applied to LEDs as well. For example, COB light sources are an integrated surface-mount lighting technology that are directly attached to mirror-metal substrates mounted on LED chips.
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Shantou Tai Lian Electronics Co., Ltd.
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