Fine pitch high lead count integrated circuit packages represent a dramatic change from the conventional methods of assembling electronic components to a printed interconnect circuit board. To some, these FPTpackages appear to bean extension of the assembly technology called surface mount or SMT. Many of us who have spent a significant amount of time developing the process and design techniques for these fine pitchpackages haveconcluded that these techniquesgobeyondthose commonly useed for SMT. In 1987 the presentauthor, convincedofthe uniqueness ofthe assembly and design demands ofthese...