The Quad Flat Package, or Quad Flat Pack, QFP, is a package used for surface mount, SMD

integrated circuits.
The QFP, Quad Flat Package is widely used because it enables SMD ICs with high numbers of
interconnections to be used within electronics circuits.
The Quad Flat Package is an industry standard package format although a number of formats are
available. These include variations on the number of pins, and also variations on other aspects of
the package as well.

Typical Quad Flat Package, QFP

Quad Flat Package, QFP Basics

The quad flat pack consists of a rectangular package a few millimetres thick. The package may be
square with the same number of pins emanating from each edge or rectangular with different
numbers of pins on each pair of sides..
The package itself is made from a top and a bottom section which are glue together. The
connections emanate from the join on the side of the package. The pins are bent downwards
towards the printed circuit board in what is termed a gull wing format. The pins normally just touch
the printed circuit board so that they are easy to solder.

Quad Flat Package, QFP lead arrangement

Quad flat pack integrated circuits come in a variety of formats with pins varying in number. Often the
QFP may be square and pin counts may rise to figures of 256 or even more. A 256 pin QFP would
typically have 64 pins on each side. Some of the smaller quad flat packages may have pin counts of
32 pins, i.e. 8 pins on each side, assuming the package is square.
Quad flat package variants
There are many different abbreviations for the various formats for quad flat pack ICs. Some are
detailed below:

BQFP - Bumpered Quad Flat Pack: This form of quad flat package has extensions at the
four corners to protect the leads against mechanical damage before the unit is soldered. One
of the major problems with the QFP is the ease with which pins can be bent and damaged.
Owing to the very fine pitch, it is very difficult and normally not economically viable to repair a
device if the pins are bent.

Bumpered quad flat pack

BQFPH - Bumpered Quad Flat Pack with Heat spreader: This form of quad flat package
utilises the pin protectors at the corners, it also has heat spreaders to enable larger levels of
power to be dissipated.

CQFP - Ceramic Quad Flat Pack: This is a high quality version of the quad flat pack using
ceramic for the package.

FQFP - Fine pitched Quad Flat Pack: A quad flat pack with, as the name indicates, a fine
pitch for the pins.

HQFP - Heat sinked Quad Flat Pack: With many integrated circuits, especially those with
high pins counts which have a high level of circuitry may dissipate high levels of heat. This
heat may need to be removed. To achieve this a number of the pins, often in the centre of
opposing sides are replaced with a thicker pin which is soldered to a large pad on the PCB
with a large area of copper connected to it. This will remove a significant amount of heat.

LQFP - Low profile Quad Flat Pack: The Low Profile Quad Flat Pack is based upon the
metric QFP, MQFP, but it is are thinner with a body thickness or height of 1.4mm. This helps
solve problems where component height may be a problem. It has a standard lead-frame
footprint - 2.0mm lead footprint. Lead counts for the LQFP range from 32 to 256. Body sizes
range from 5 x 5mm to 28 x 28mm. Lead pitches available for LQFP package are 0.3, 0.4,
0.5, & 0.65mm.

MQFP - Metric Quad Flat Pack: A quad flat package where the measurements and in
particular the pin spacing is defined in metric dimensions. Standard QFPs normally use
 Imperial measurements and have pin spacing etc defined in terms of convenient Imperial
dimensions.

PQFP - Plastic Quad Flat Pack: A quad flat pack where the package material is plastic.
Some QFPs can use ceramic.

TQFP - Thin Quad Flat Pack: The Thin Quad Flat Pack, TQFP is a form of low profile quad
flat pack. Having a body thickness of 1.0mm and have a standard lead-frame footprint with
2.0mm lead footprint. The TQFP package material used is plastic.

QFP in use
The quad flat pack, QFP is widely used for many electronic circuits and assemblies. This form of
package enables high numbers of interconnections to be accommodated around the device. With
the growing complexity of many integrated circuits, this form of surface mount package enables the
high connectivity levels required to be accommodated in a convenient format.
Although the QFP, quad flat package works well, there are a number of factors to be remembered
when using it.

PCB track density: The very high numbers of pins that can be accommodated by the QFP
does mean that great care is required when designing the printed circuit board. The high pin
count can lead to difficulties in track density around the device. Careful routing and design
may be required to ensure that none of the design rules is violated.

QFP pin damage: The pins on the quad flat package are small and closely spaced. It is
easy for them to be damaged and deformed by poor handling. It is also very difficult to
reform them correctly. To ensure damage is minimised they must be stored carefully - they
are often shipped in special 'waffle' packing to provide adequate protection. This packaging
can be used on the pick and place machines for assembling thereby ensuring that handling
is minimised and the risk of damage reduced to the minimum.
In view of their advantages, quad flat packages are widely used within the electronics industry to
enable the highly complex assemblies to be manufactured swiftly, efficiently and reliably.
By Ian Poole