Surface mount components are devices used in electronics to construct and maintain a connection to the printed circuit board (PCB). Surface mount technology encompasses all of the devices and procedures in building a connection between the PCB and the rest of the device, as well as regulating the connection. This connection is usually forged by permanently attaching the component to the PCB by gradually melting part of it, then allowing it to cool and integrate itself with the board.

Prior to the invention of surface mount technology, the process of constructing and connecting circuits to the PCB was a tedious and difficult task. The previous method, known as through-hole technology, involved drilling tiny holes in the PCB, through which even the tiniest wires were fitted by hand. These miniscule wires were then used to manually affix components to the PCB. Through-hole technology provided relatively reliable results, but was considered grossly inefficient due to the amount of time it would take to make each connection by hand.

The Advantages of SMT

Surface mount components boast many other advantages over through-hole technology. One of the main advantages is the significantly smaller size of the components. Although the components used in through-hole technology were also very small, they had to be at least large enough to be manipulated by the human hand. Because surface mount components are connected to the PCB through heat and chemical bonding, they can afford to be significantly smaller.

Another advantage of SMT is that the use of surface tension eliminates the need to drill countless small holes in circuit boards. Repeatedly puncturing a PCB can lead to serious damage for the device, even rendering it unusable. Another benefit is that if there are any errors in placement when the component is initially aligned with the PCB, they cam be remedied through surface tension, as the heat pulls the component into place. Finally, unlike through-hole technology, SMT allows components to be placed on both sides of the board, maximizing space and efficiency.