IC Chip Reballing 101 | Microsoldering Basics | How do I do a basic IC Reball? | IC Harvesting

[@mrechbreger]

Pretty good just tried it with some memory ICs and it worked wonderfully with a poor stencil. A key is probably use some expired solder paste. Just reballed a 121 Ball BGA ... crazy it worked at the 3rd attempt. First time I obviously did it wrong, second time some paste issues - third time unbelievable everything looks good.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Good job! I’m glad to hear it worked well for you. I hope some of my other videos can be useful as well. I always appreciate the good comments 😎

[@inwerp]

Clenaning iron before putting it to stand will significantly reduce tip lifespan. Rather leave it dirty and clean before next soldering or tin it before putting it to rest. It looks nicer, yep, but clean iron will expose metal alloy and it will oxidate quite fast. Great balls though, it is hands download best reball guide.

[@M.E63]

Clean it and tin it is fine then you have to repeat that before soldering

[@kyle_wiens]

Really great overview, Justin! Thanks for the clear explanation.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Thank you Kyle! Glad to get support from the Teardown and Guide master of the Repairiverse! IFIXIT!

[@wolflone3652]

Thank you for the refresher

[@killzoldek6147]

A basic explanation trip. I love it

[@TheArtofRepair]

😎💪

[@charanebot6423]

Just stumbled on this video and 1st time watching you. I have been searching if it's possible to reball with the simple tools i have & I've seen very clearly that i can. Subscribed without waste of time.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Heck ya! Very glad to see you join the channel! A lot of new videos made in the last year that are on the way! Pay attention in September/Nov!

[@charanebot6423]

@@TheArtofRepair Ok. I'm tuned in.

[@OY-Tech-yw8lo]

i just can’t explain how much happy i’m right now i’ve been looking for this for long

[@OY-Tech-yw8lo]

now one explains this better and no one in my area will teach you too bad

[@charanebot6423]

That means we are together on this. I've been searching this too for days now. I was like "that's what I'm talking about!"

[@TheArtofRepair]

I apologize for the late reply, 6 months late actually, I have just been out in the wild doing repair things and not focused on youtube. Im glad this video helped you =) Hope to see you in the comments section again =)

[@ckarouach]

Thank you very much about this video.

[@godfather005]

Thank you Justin. amazing information as usual.

[@vhangv7457]

Thank you for this video, sir. I had fun reballing watching your vid.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Yay! I’m glad to hear that you were able to learn from my video :) I hope to see you in the comments section of other videos in the future 😀

[@wanderleypereira6967]

Very good video. Congrats.

[@directsystems2225]

Thanks for teaching

[@JohnPhelyno]

This is a gem!!!!

[@rickstechrepairs]

Thanks for the excellent video as always!

[@rlogan83]

Thank you, this is great stuff. Really building my confidence watching these, can't wait until I get home

[@mikegaming4924]

Hi, thanks for the video. It was very good tip, when you said to apply flux and 140C to lubricate the stencil. Now the balls didn't get stuck like they used to before using this tip. It took only 10 min to reball IC. (steps: Clean IC pads with wick, apply stencil, apply balls, heat 370C from corner angle, apply flux, heat to 140C, remove stencil, apply heat 370 to get balls self align.)

[@TheArtofRepair]

Heck ya! Glad to hear it worked well for you 💪💪💪

[@ziadfawzi]

Thank you so much.

[@roseelectronics4582]

Your intro was superb. It hooked me up!

[@TheArtofRepair]

Yay! Thank you!

[@thekunoorj]

Thank you, I will use your techniques next time that I attempt to jailbreak my nintendo switch

[@PhuketMyMac]

You've just made me stop procrastinating reballing an SMC. Just fixed an old 820-3462 board that has been sitting on my desk for a while... haha Thanks for the motivation and the good tips.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Thanks, Justin. I love tweezers and really don't know how many that I have. I love the bent tip tweezers the most. Some of my favorite tweezers are vintage Dumont Dumoxel tweezers.

[@TheArtofRepair]

So many! But... SO MANY MORE TO BUY! hahah am i right =D I cant stop myself, Always trying to find new uses for the ones i have too.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

@@TheArtofRepair Yep, I'm always looking for new tweezers.

[@simonstergaard]

I like your setup with the greenscreen behind you, and your setup visible, and not just your head... nice!

[@mdrashedulislam2727]

Thank you Justin.

[@Daakist]

I dont even have to reball anything and I found this interesting

[@ginopumadera4265]

Thank you so much Justin, I’ve always had reballing issues , it gets stuck etc. But the flux and low heat nails it !!!!!

[@TheArtofRepair]

Great to hear! I know that sticky chip thing freaks people out!

[@israelmaurice6910]

I love this video

[@TheArtofRepair]

And I love this comment! Appreciate you passing through. Hope the video helped :D

[@DKYSS]

Thank you bro

[@saikiranshiny]

16:18 it's me Who is thinking same.. Why a historical video is playing! Did I pressed next button!

[@TheArtofRepair]

haha yes! XD best to watch it all for the full effect =D

[@imranahmed-kq4cl]

beautiful work Justin ! if possible make a video over taking some important reading/measurements on a dead board please? Thank you

[@AntonioWengratt]

Hi Justin! Did all the steps you told, and my reballs are getting perfect. The only hard time I'm founding is with bigger chips, like PMIC's, EMMC's and CPU's from Samsung, Motorola, etc., and it`s worst and they have some "empty" balls and I do not have the correct stencil for them. Is there any trick to help with this? I'm using a small piece of glass to help out, its working, but it tooks too many tries to get things to work :(

[@maximusxm]

thanks!

[@TTT-V]

magic!

[@Iamkab]

Thanks Justin! Great video as usual

[@TheArtofRepair]

My pleasure! I appreciate you commenting and watching! Hope you learned something today =D

[@markphilpot4981]

Keep it up Justin! Not all can do the hot air thing. Phone guys and smders can. It as on the list. Kinda picky about tools, you know! Real good video. Stay safe mates!😊👍🏻😷

[@TheArtofRepair]

Well the good news is, the next method does not require the hot air at all you’ll see that method debut in 102 I’m pretty sure it’s kind of unique

[@emmanuelnuno9473]

great job! thank you!

[@mkfixethio]

thanks for the video. i have universal stencl but i only can reball emmc and some other ic. but still i cant reball cpu and power ic may be because i don't have microscope or stencil not fit for all ic

[@rspaulding]

@9:30 Whachya doin' down there, buddy? hahahaa

[@tonytrilex2555]

Your reball method is great my only issue is your stencil, I would prefer a stencil with square holes not circular ones also I try to use cue tips instead of a cloth but that is just personal preference.

[@chrismaldonado3198]

Same on the q-tips, I work on these almost every day!

[@bo_d_n]

Thank you Justin! I am a total microsoldering noob coming from screen refurbishing because of the touch ic . Please do jumpers next !

[@TheArtofRepair]

Jumpers! This would be such a good idea to do on its own! Ill put it on the whiteboard right now!

[@sivajisivaji1562]

Good learning bro.congrats.god bless u.

[@MrPnew1]

Just curious as to why you do not clean the old solder from the chip with wick after you run the ball of leaded solder across all the pads? Maybe it’s because of the style of tip you are using on your iron ?

[@jurgenkruger3932]

No, it's because you watch an interested amateur.😂

[@sherlanmamaril7368]

Great explanation

[@RM-en9gk]

What is that mesh surface he has the ic? With the mat i use, the silucon rubber lifts up due to the heat

[@gamerelated3887]

if you think a spudger is awesome for spreading solder paste, you should try a guitar pick. .50 thickness.

[@TheArtofRepair]

The spudger gives a lot more accuracy in the hand than a guitar pic at least for me. Sometimes I use a razor blade but I feel like they tend to eat up the outer surface area of the stencils paste holes and cause the stencil to degrade faster.

[@gamerelated3887]

@@TheArtofRepair Right on, I'll have to try a spudger next time.

[@davidvalens3337]

great video!

[@TheArtofRepair]

Glad you enjoyed it Hope to see you in the comments again sometime!

[@davidvalens3337]

@@TheArtofRepair would love to see if you can do a video on lots of scopes that come from china and india and do a shoot out. Would love to find a scope one day that is very good yet very affordable

[@TheArtofRepair]

@@davidvalens3337 Scopes are easy bro 💪 Just depends on your budget I can probably throw together some videos on picking a microscope would that work?

[@davidvalens3337]

@@TheArtofRepair would love any videos but it would be awesome to see a comparison video and also a video on how to identify bad scopes. Or scopes that are not with buying

[@odediranfemi]

Please which type of smd rework station is good for ic reballing Helica or vertical type

[@romainethomas7919]

I'm using a aoyue 968a+, what I can afford now is it a problem when reballing chips and removing components

[@Ri-eb1ns]

How long are those grand pappy tweezers he’s talking about?

[@soundspark]

I figured the reason you want to reflow after stenciling the balls on is so you can flood it with flux and ensure the balls are properly bonded to the pads.

[@TheArtofRepair]

although it’s very very rare for that to happen yes that’s one of the reasons. The main reason being just to line everything up so that as you offset it with the pcb array it will grab properly across the array in unison 😎

[@Rodox2k10]

Hey Teacher (I hope you don't mind me calling you that). I'm sorry but I've tried every single hint you shared in the video. By the way, thanks a lot for sharing. You rock! But unfortunately, there's ONE CHIP, or THE chip that literally just laughs at me every time I try something different: CYW4356XKUBG or BCM4356XKUBG, it's a Wi-fi/BT chip for the Nintendo Switch. I spread 63-37 solder with my soldering iron, remove the flux using a cloth. Then, I proceed to line my stencil (similar as yours) up with the chip, apply solder paste, hot air @350ºC with very low air speed. I struggle a little with indirect heat (even after following your steps), but eventually all the balls are formed, oh and all of that while still applying pressure around the chip with my stencil. And I end up with 2 or 3 bridges on the chip. I've also tried gluing the chip with the stencil using a tape behind the chip; Same result; I've tried leaving some flux on the chip because a friend of mine told me some balls might not be forming or staying on its spot because of the lack of flux; No, still same result. Although it was only one bridge, but it involved six or seven balls; I've tried changing the air temp to 365ºC and going up the air speed a little, but it rendered the ugliest result; Maybe something is wrong with my solder paste, which is a Mechanic one. 63-37, melts @183.. I dunno. I even tried changing from a steel spatula to a thermal paste spreader (I don't have a plastic spudger), but results didn't change. I'd love to watch you try your luck with it. Maybe it's just not meant to be reballed? Thanks again for the vid and I'm sorry I'm 2 years late for this. It took me a while to find your vid. Keep up the great work (:

[@TheArtofRepair]

Email me a video [e-mail] and I’ll see if your missing something.

[@wolflone3652]

great job

[@nilomyki]

Is the Cleanroom cloth Kimwipes or something else?

[@TheArtofRepair]

They are available under cleaning supplies on Shop.Artof.Repair, but they are just basic microfiber cleanroom cloth, the same used in the factories in china every day. Thats why i started calling them that haha. Lint free n such =)

[@gerdduppmann7281]

Great video

[@Fiix-A-Phone]

useful video brother. thanks for sharing your guide.... can u tell best bitmap software for samsung and other android phone ?

[@rigoleyja4043]

Awesome really helpfull Thanks!!

[@hadyyaseen8592]

youre amazing man

[@whoisme678]

What I'd like to understand is how you obtain the info from manufacturers for forming the profiles for reballing. Cameras which although might not be necessary, are beneficial when magnifying the chips during reball. How about using various laptop motherboards to reball cpu and graphics chips.

[@temporaryscars]

Where can I get those tweezers? Your store appears to be dead.

[@tonytrilex2555]

15:52 hahahhaha OMG that was so funny!!!!

[@TheArtofRepair]

haha im glad you caught that. =D

[@TySkinner]

Man, I miss having my shop and doing this work.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Theres always side hustle work!

[@FixedUntilBroken]

great video. I really feel comfortable giving it a shot. As you know I don't really do phone so I am outsider on this but any suggestions on boards I could grab off ebay for cheap to practice on? something that they still sell stencils for? It doesn't have to be fixable just something to practice technique. If you want to sell me a bag of parts/boards I'd be happy buy especially if you had a stencil to go with the stuff.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Just get iphone 4 with stencils, 20 bucks for working phones and stencils are like 3-4 bucks for basics.

[@jeffescortlx]

I've found a large stencel kit on eBay, something like 100pcs for cheap, came with 4 different leaded ball sizes. Many of them are universal, can do anything from TV arm MCU, consoles, ram. I used one for a Chrysler radio gpu chip and LG tv main board.

[@FixedUntilBroken]

@@jeffescortlx I see you have found me haha.

[@jeffescortlx]

@@FixedUntilBroken yep I like Justin's videos, especially re-balling. He makes the process look easy when it typically ends in fits of rage for the average techinition.

[@FixedUntilBroken]

@@jeffescortlx same. I've I'm here trying to learn some mobile electronics to make me a little more well rounded. Not looking to do mobile electronics as a business but I see more of out automotive electronics getting BGAs and Screens on them. I feel like one day automotive electronics and mobile electronics are going be very similar.

[@saeedsamikhan5691]

today tried reballing baseband 10 tries 10 failures points missing and poping out

[@lalittechnicalbtp1859]

So nic working 👍

[@Sherifone78]

Where did you buy those tweezers, any link?

[@TheArtofRepair]

=) 304 Stainless Gripped Tweezers are SKU code AOR-V-004 ★ Find all the tools I use on my website! ★ HTTP://AORSUPPLY.EU ★

[@jaco3849]

where is the best place to get the solder tensile??

[@TheArtofRepair]

Yea, just happens to be my personality. It’s the price we pay for when something is free 🤷‍♂️

[@PiotrFicner]

I don't have a problem with reballing. But I do have problem when the chip pads are oxidised and the balls don't like to hold to them. What's your advice on that? :)

[@TheArtofRepair]

Normally I don’t recommend smaller tips but maybe a smaller J tip with some solder on it and the pad has some flux. It would also help if the entire chip was at a decent temp. So if you could use a ic jig to hold it you could heat it up with the hot air and see if that will break down the oxidation. I know the problem your having and it’s a common problem Remember flux is a detergent and a barrier so that plus the right amount of heat and solder should do the trick. Let me know how it goes!

[@PiotrFicner]

@@TheArtofRepair thank you. Might try to record it and observe the outcome. If will be worth sharing, will post in on my business YT and comment here. If not, at least will comment what I did :).

[@Iamkab]

Is cleaning the chip off with copper wick before reballing pointless? I have always done it but I see you don't

[@PiezPiedPy]

I always use wick too

[@EgonSorensen]

It would remove any oxidation on the pads ensuring a good connection (if that was the cause of the fault). Downside is it takes time and there is a risk of removing pads. Mixing lead-free and leaded solder... Would lower the melting point and add lead to the alloy. I don't think it is a huge issue, especially if longevity isn't an issue. Would love to hear Justins opinion on this though

[@TheArtofRepair]

This will be answered in next Monday's pre video livestream in more depth, but in short, If we are realloying with 63/37 which is 183, then applying the same as paste nothing else should be effected. Cleaning the BGA array flat IC side is pointless in our microsoldering context. cleaning the bare board with wic. yes, always, but yal know how i feel about that haha.

[@EgonSorensen]

@@TheArtofRepair " If we are realloying with 63/37 which is 183, then applying the same as paste nothing else should be effected." Since RoHS directive, everything should be lead-free, including the BGA's (Imagine the horrors in production if only a few areas has to bee leaded and others lead-free) Lead-free is often SnAgCu alloys, so adding a bit of SnPb will 'only' add Pb to the alloy, though not in the normal 63/37 percent ratio. My view on this is: Know what you're dealing with, clean it up if in doubt - always do it correctly (even though it takes a bit of time - it will save you time in the long run)

[@STUDY-TECH-HUB]

Keep going bro

[@STUDY-TECH-HUB]

extremely Nice wrk

[@Erolanya]

Great succes👌

[@rickyandika718]

Is it possible to reball without the appropriate stencil like if i found a stencil with the same ball arrangements can i use them?

[@AlphaBravoTech]

Yes

[@sanjayasaliya1102]

Thanks bro

[@RonPaulBot1234]

Can you recommend any european location that can do reballing of NVME memory controllers?

[@ASHATGAMER56]

Hello sir..my speaker and microphone always good...but not working on INCOMING,out going calls..and also not working VOICE RECORDER permenently ( I am also changed Cc board and mic..but still have this problem....what is problem...plz tell me the issue..I hope replay this comment) I hope you replay this comment and solve my problem..thanks Model name :- REALME C20 / 2GB RAM

[@alfamobileshiradhontechnic8697]

Thank you sor How to temove pested (black white pested IC )

[@Turnikov]

It looks like the balls in the middle have more volume than the ones on the edges. Wouldn't it make more sense to use solder balls? Then the amount of solder on each pad will be perfectly equal

[@TheArtofRepair]

@@Turnikov nah, all the same for sure. I do a lot of training for students in person. And when you have depth perception it’s much easier to see everything is all the same size. Just to address the comment about solder balls being easier. I would say that if you’re just at the desk doing this. You can do the full paste reball of almost any size or density array in 2-3 minutes max. Fullsize balls will slow you down big time if you’re trying to get work done. Nobody has time for the reball to take 10-15 minutes alone when the full job needs to be 30 max. But definitely would love to discuss further if you felt you wanted to :) love good comments from subscribers.

[@Turnikov]

​@@TheArtofRepair your reply makes perfect sense. But if you do love discussion, I'd like to share an opinion I've found online: _"I won't use leaded solder paste, because those tiny particles if not handled very carefully will end up in your mouth, up your nose, or otherwise ingested eventually, I have no doubt. Any solder paste should be handled with extreme caution."_ I think that hobbyists should opt for the balls, while professionals can use solder paste to save time

[@TheArtofRepair]

@@Turnikov I would say I agree that Ingesting leaded solder paste is not a great idea like 10000% but let me throw this one out there. Safety is always number one and should come before any part of the soldering process. So for me. Washing your hands when your done soldering or wearing gloves during the process would negate that. To further that. One could use lead free solder paste. It just kind of kills the working range of hand soldering a bit. Now that might actually be ok if the hobbiest is just doing some rework on something rather large. And I would say it might be that if your doing something similar to that in my video that those working play ranges are pretty crucial to allow for a proper step soldering process to eliminate damaging other joints on the board on the other side of a pcb of that are currently underfilled. On a final note, you seem like the kind of person who would be a great addition to a community I run. The /r/soldering subreddit, we even have a discord! Maybe you will think to join. There are many first timers who could use help from those with more experience :)

[@bankim3222]

I am a new beginner in IC level work i had started IC level work from last 4 days and i didn't understand what i am doing i messed up I watched your this video and i am really excited to work step by setp as u teached. THANKU 😊 JUSTIN BHAI 🙏

[@odairoliveiracursos]

ficou top meu amigo

[@irfannagori6702]

Master

[@infinitymobile9922]

Thanks♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@PhuketMyMac]

What do you recommend to do when the stencil lift itself up while pressing with the tweezers on the edge of the array?! Not all the time this is happening, however with larger ICs, that tends to happen often. Once that happens, the paste/balls will merge in the center where the stencil is lifted the most.

[@inwerp]

Just put tweezers across balls, apply pressure directly to the chip. its gonna be fine, trust me.

[@MattFixesStuff]

What to do if the balls form in the stencil and get stuck there.(mostly on very tiny 0.2mm) ie. ? My balls are not on the IC but in the stencil. I managed to really press down the solder paste very hard and take the stencil gently off and melting it without the stencil to get an okay result but always when i leave the stencil on the balls get stuck in the holes of the stencil.

[@jurgenkruger3932]

Then there are some techniques. You need to "glue" the balls onto the landing pads. This you can do with thin solder flux on the surface or use solder paste prior to put the balls. If the balls still stuck all the time, you'd better reflow everything prior to remove the solder stencil. This you can do even without the solder balls. To use solder balls is not a must. Good luck!

[@MattFixesStuff]

@@jurgenkruger3932 thanks for the reply. I dont use solder balls. The paste forms balls and these are getting stuck. Sorry if it was unclear.

[@jurgenkruger3932]

@@MattFixesStuff then is something with the surface. You need a thin layer of solder flux, so the solder paste can get a reliable connection with the copper surface. If all is then proper melted, then it shall not be possible for the tin, to stuck inside the holes of the solder stencil. You can also try to use the solder stencil upside down. Maybe the edges of the holes are not clean, sharp enough.

[@MattFixesStuff]

@@jurgenkruger3932 I'll try. also ordered another stencil. And yeah its really stuck in the holes. I can pop the balls out with a needle after theyre formed. Thank u :3

[@carmelorossitto7084]

It’s impossible to reball. When I do it, 10% of the balls solder to the stencil. Reballing is stressful. I exactly did what you did.

[@TheArtofRepair]

You might need to step back and revaluate your situation tools and consumables to make sure they are all good. As this technique does work. Maybe you can make a video to share with me so i can see where you are going wrong?

[@skeptisk1]

Boom

[@TheArtofRepair]

He knows! Coming in hot!

[@thetechnician2547]

Hello sir from India Telangana NALGONDA

[@XoFFoX777]

Have you taken any PACE courses ? Industry standard stuff ?

[@TheArtofRepair]

Inspirational sure, there videos are second to none. But formally no. Iv had a few soldering mentors over the years including a few IPC guys. Thanks for the question! I appreciate you taking the time to watch my video :) I hope it helped 💪

[@ayoolashina1706]

Hello Mr justin ....why is the chip removal temperature always higher from the temperature used to remount the chip back on the board after a reball...

[@jeffescortlx]

Original balls are lead free and have a higher melting point.

[@nickwaters2802]

Because the solder holding the chip on the board originally is lead free, and lead free solder melts at a higher temperature. He replaces it with a leaded alloy that has a lower melting point

[@ericllynn]

LFG!!!

[@حسينالشهري-ت6ص]

👍

[@TheArtofRepair]

[@quartzofcourse]

“This video is going to pay for itself” but it’s free real estate

[@mjmybuddy]

subs..clicked

[@markshah437]

Do the AOR-V-004 tweezers magnetize?

[@TheArtofRepair]

Yes, they are made of 304 steel.

[@markshah437]

@@TheArtofRepair Thanks. Do you sell similar that don't magnetize?

[@israelmaurice6910]

Can I have lessons please

[@CarnivoreConservative]

I know you where trying to eliminate all excuses,but my puppy ate my stencils.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Weird enough I bet there sum puppies out there that would get a kick out of crunching a stencil. This almost passes… 😅 almost… Haha good try! 😂

[@CarnivoreConservative]

@@TheArtofRepair im going to try this, thanks. I have always used balls, but with practice I suppose😊

[@saikiranshiny]

Bro,I did same But my stencil as I put my blower near to it The middle portion of it expands like a balloon and the contact with Emmc breaks Is it a bad stencil!?

[@TheArtofRepair]

To much air and heat. Why not start right at solder melting point and find a good point you like with low speed. Don’t blame the stencil, my favorite stencils are the cheapest :) lol

[@saikiranshiny]

@@TheArtofRepair ok dude,let me try this and get back to you

[@neshco]

Why all you guys put that sponges on the wall? I've seen it on many labs and dont get it why you need those soundproof sponges on the wall.

[@TheArtofRepair]

Its for sound absorbing to reduce echo and outside noise =)

[@Pospesel]

Where is 102?

[@bobweiram6321]

Your logo is just begging to look like the Southern Comfort bottle logo. Was that your intent?

[@mjmybuddy]

i dont have the money to join..but soon sir.