Extracting SMD integrated circuits

This shows how to extract dual sided SMD ics from a circuit board using a soldering iron and no other special equipment.

Step 1: The setup

The process has been documented here:

http://forum.s1mp3.org/viewtopic.php?t=1592&start=15

It involves soldering thick copper wires to the two leaded sides of the integrated circuit so that all the leads receive the heat from the iron. Light pressure excerted upwards on the chip will cause it to snap away from the board as a soldering iron is applied to heat the entire side.

This is then repeated for the other side and thus we have a chip free of the board.

All that remains is to clean the board and chip for reuse.

Just watch the movie for a demonstration. The picture below shows the sophisticated lighting, camera and computing machinery involved in filming that video.

Comments

[soc622]

do not try this at home. I make smd boards all the time and repair them. This will more than likely kill ur IC (assuming the is wasnt dead to begin). If you want to start doing smd work invest in a rework station if u want to make boards from scratch buy a reflow oven.
Back to the video if you do not have the right equipment, once you have taken the chip off how are you going to put it back on again????? Just a thought

[tonyb2006]

Do you have this video in a different format, I can't play it on my linux machine.

[johnpoole]

open with dragon player.. works running mandriva.. rpm the free download if you don't have it

[neelandan]

Video updated, should play now.

[neelandan]

Shall post it in a different format. Thought LV was making his usual pointless fuss.

[zack247]

could i update my Ram by doing this?

[dagenius]

Instead of making a link, wouldn't it be easier and mor conveniant to actually make THIS the instructable?

[j626no]

i understand how it works, just confused how it doesnt fry your IC. im new to electronics but arent IC's heat sensitive? and yes, the lead will diffuse the heat temporarily, but your heating it to the same temp as the iron arent you?, so it will still try the IC? im really confused, please explain jon

[amando96]

the first 555 i removed from a PCB was so hot after the removal that it fell on fiberglass an melted it so... lol it isnt that sensitive, oh and it worked after that ;)

[neelandan]

IC's are rated to withstand the temperature of soldering (for 5 seconds or so). So, if you are doing it properly, the heat stresses are no different than when soldering it into circuit. Heat differentials - in which one lead is cold while the other is at a high temperature - is more detrimental, causing differential expansion and possible separation of the chip from the moulded case. The chip shouldn't be reaching the temperature of the iron. It should only be heated to somewhere around the melting point of solder.

[T-K]

Soldering irons specially made for surface mounted devices are a lower wattage that your 30-60 watt conventional soldering iron, about 18 watts or something.

[T-K]

So this method is reasonable, but I think you should find another way. Good work anyhow.

[agis68]

I did that but how u gonna reuse that tiny pins of the specific Cmos???. Its an issue!

[DYLEGO]

how are you supposed to solder something tha small when you want to use it???

[roykyn]

yes desoldering method is good.....but will it damage the IC..... please update if you have a video of the resoldering the new IC...

[LasVegas]

Why do you compress your AVI using IV50 codec? This hasn't been a supported format in years and will be difficult for many to view.

[VIRON]

If someone's camera still works, Why did the AVI players drop an AVI codec? What format SHOULD be used for future playback? I have stuff from the 1800's, so what can I make to be viewable in 2207?

[LasVegas]

IV50 is the only codec that I know of that isn't supported most places anymore. The reason? The company that owns it, stopped licensing it. In this day and age, you want to be using either MPEG4 or DivX. But, like I said, just about any other compression should work better.