General packing information
This chapter contains a survey of some of the packing methods most frequently used by NXP Semiconductors. It includes information that may be important to customers when making their purchasing decisions, for example the main dimensions, shapes, and packing quantities.
Standardization
For semiconductors, packing serves two important functions. The first and most obvious function is protection during storage and transport to customers. This, of course, applies to all products, not just semiconductors. The second is to act as a delivery medium for automatic placement machines during equipment manufacture. To do this effectively, the reels, trays and tubes that components are packed in must meet recognized standards. In this respect, NXP Semiconductors actively cooperates with standardization authorities throughout the world.
In addition, our packing methods meet all major international standards, including those of IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), JEDEC (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, USA) and NEDA (National Electronic Distributor Association, USA).
Environmental care
Nowadays, an important issue is environmental impact. Component and equipment manufacturers are continuously working to improve the environment friendliness of their products and packing, and have devoted much effort to eliminating the use of toxic materials and to looking at ways in which materials can be recycled.
In these respects, NXP Semiconductors has taken several important steps on the packing front. These include:
- Reducing the amount of packing material by switching to 'one piece' boxes (instead of boxes with upper and lower parts)
- Changing to 'mono material' to aid recycling. For example, from aluminium-lined boxes to carbon-coated boxes.
- Changing from white boxes to natural brown boxes to eliminate the use of bleach (chlorine) in their manufacture.
The aim is minimum waste and minimum environmental impact. We have already gone a long way towards this in the development of our packing methods. And future developments will take us even further along this route.
More Information
For more information about packing methods, please contact:
NXP Semiconductors Packing Management,
BAE-09
P.O. Box 218,
5600 MD Eindhoven
The Netherlands.
Glossary of terms
| Carrier | Plastic tube, tray or tape with cavities, which can contain IC products |
| d x w | diameter x width |
| l x w x h | length x width x height |
| Package | Container with leads for an IC chip (also known as an envelope or outline) |
| Packing method | Combination of a carrier and a box to protect products during transport and storage |
| Pin | Rigid plastic pin that closes a tube for DIP packages by insertion through holes in its end |
| Plug | Flexible plastic plug that closes a tube for PLCC or SIL packages by insertion into its end |
| PQ | Packing Quantity, in a box containing one or more SPQs |
| SOD | Standard Outline Diode |
| SOT | Standard Outline Transistor |
| SPQ | Smallest Packing Quantity, mostly the quantity in one carrier |
| Surface mount | Mounted on the surface of a PCB |
| Through-hole | Mounted onto a PCB by insertion of leads into holes |
| Turnlock | Rigid plastic pin that closes a tube for SO packages by insertion into its end and turning to lock in place |