Materials Used for Electronic Components

The materials used in electronic components are selected based on their electrical con-
ductivity, thermal stability, magnetic properties, mechanical strength, and cost. Below
is a breakdown of common materials used for various components.

1. Resistors
Part Material Purpose
Resistive element Carbon film, Metal film, Wire-wound Controls resistance
Leads Tin-plated copper Electrical connection
Body Ceramic or plastic Insulation and protection

2. Capacitors
Type Dielectric Material Electrode Mate- Notes
rial
Ceramic Barium titanate, Tita- Silver or copper Used in multilayer ce-
nium dioxide ramic capacitors
Electrolytic Aluminum oxide Aluminum foil Polarized, high-
capacitance
Tantalum Tantalum pentoxide Tantalum Small, stable, polarized
Film Polyester, Polypropy- Aluminum Non-polarized, for high
lene reliability

3. Inductors
Part Material Purpose
Core Ferrite, Iron powder Magnetic field containment
Wire Copper (sometimes enameled) Conduction of current

4. Diodes and LEDs

Part Material Notes
Semiconductor Silicon (most diodes), Gallium ar- Enables rectification or
senide (LEDs) emission
Package Epoxy or plastic Physical protection
Leads Tin- or silver-plated copper Electrical connection

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5. Transistors
Type Material Usage
Bipolar Junction (BJT) Silicon, sometimes Germanium Switching and amplification
MOSFET Silicon, with gate oxide layer Power or signal switching
Leads Copper with tin/silver coating For soldering and connectivity

6. Integrated Circuits (ICs)

Part Material Purpose
Die Silicon Contains the actual circuitry
Package Plastic, Ceramic Encapsulation and protection
Leads/Balls Tin-plated copper, Gold, Solder balls (BGA) Electrical connection

7. Connectors and Terminals

Component Material Notes
Contacts Gold-, silver-, or nickel-plated copper High conductivity and corrosion resistance
Housing Nylon, PVC, Polycarbonate Insulation and mechanical strength

Marking and Identification

Resistor
Resistors are marked using either color bands (for THT resistors) or alphanumeric codes
(for SMD resistors). These markings indicate the resistance value, tolerance, and some-
times reliability or temperature coefficient.

THT Resistors – Color Band System

ˆ 4-band resistors (most common):

– 1st band = first digit

– 2nd band = second digit
– 3rd band = multiplier
– 4th band = tolerance

Example: Red–Violet–Brown–Gold → 2 (Red), 7 (Violet), ×10 (Brown) = 270 Ω

±5%

ˆ 5-band resistors: Used for higher precision.

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SMD Resistors – Numeric Code System
(a) 3-Digit Code:

ˆ First 2 digits = significant figures

ˆ 3rd digit = multiplier (power of 10)

Example: 103 → 10 × 103 = 10 kΩ

(b) 4-Digit Code (for 1% precision):

ˆ First 3 digits = significant figures

ˆ 4th digit = multiplier

Example: 4702 → 470 × 102 = 47 kΩ

(c) R Notation (for decimal values):

ˆ 4R7 = 4.7 Ω
ˆ 0R22 = 0.22 Ω

Tolerance Codes (THT – 4th Band / SMD – Letter Code)

Color/Code Tolerance
Brown ±1%
Red ±2%
Gold ±5%
Silver ±10%
None ±20%

Capacitor
Capacitor markings vary by type, size, and package format. Larger capacitors often
have full text markings, while smaller SMD capacitors may be unmarked due to space
limitations.

1. Through-Hole Capacitors (THT)

a. Ceramic Capacitors:
ˆ Marked with 3-digit codes similar to resistors.

ˆ Format: XYM where:

– X, Y = significant digits
– M = multiplier (power of 10 in picofarads)

ˆ Example: 104 → 10 × 104 pF = 100,000 pF = 100 nF

b. Electrolytic Capacitors:

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 ˆ Clearly marked with:

– Capacitance value (e.g., 10µF, 100µF)

– Voltage rating (e.g., 25V, 50V)
– Polarity (negative terminal is marked with a stripe or minus sign)

ˆ Example: 10µF 25V − → Electrolytic capacitor, 10 µF, 25 volts, with polarity

stripe on the negative lead.

2. Surface-Mount Capacitors (SMD)

ˆ Usually unmarked due to small size

ˆ Identification is done through:

– PCB silkscreen and designator (e.g., C1, C2)

– PCB schematic and BOM

3. Tantalum Capacitors (THT/SMD)

ˆ Markings include:

– Capacitance in µF
– Voltage
– Polarity (positive marked with a line or “+” symbol)

ˆ Example: 106 25V + → 10 × 106 pF = 10 µF, 25 V, positive side marked

Notes
ˆ Capacitor tolerance and temperature coefficient are usually not printed on small
parts.

ˆ Use the datasheet or BOM for accurate interpretation during assembly.

Diodes and LEDs

Diodes and LEDs are polarized components, meaning they have anode and cathode ter-
minals. Proper identification is essential to avoid reverse connections.

1. Markings on Diodes (General Purpose, Zener, Schottky)

Through-Hole Diodes (THT):

ˆ Usually have a band or stripe at one end, indicating the cathode (negative) terminal.

ˆ The anode is the other (unmarked) side.

Example:

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 ˆ 1N4148 – a commonly used signal diode.

ˆ Printed text may include the part number (e.g., “4148”, “1N4007”).

Zener Diodes:

ˆ Similar marking style as general-purpose diodes.

ˆ Marked with part numbers (e.g., “5V1” for 5.1V Zener).

2. Markings on LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes)

Polarity Indication:

ˆ Flat edge or shorter lead = Cathode (negative).

ˆ Round edge or longer lead = Anode (positive).

ˆ In SMD LEDs, a triangle mark or dot usually shows the cathode side.

Additional Notes:

ˆ Color is typically not printed; it is determined by the part number or LED body
tint.

ˆ LEDs are often marked with part numbers on THT packages; small SMD LEDs
might not be marked at all.

Summary of Polarity Identification

Component Cathode (–) Indicator Anode (+)
Diode Stripe on body Opposite end
LED Flat edge, short pin, or dot Opposite end

Integrated Circuits (ICs) – Marking and Identification

ICs contain multiple components in a single package, so clear identification is crucial for
proper orientation and function.

1. Markings on ICs
Most ICs have the following details printed on the top:

ˆ Part Number: Identifies the IC type (e.g., LM358, 74HC00)

ˆ Manufacturer Code: Logo or short code (e.g., TI for Texas Instruments)

ˆ Batch or Date Code: Indicates production information

ˆ Package Code (optional): For example, SOIC, DIP, TQFP

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2. Pin 1 Identification
Correct orientation is critical. Pin 1 is identified by one of the following:

ˆ Dot or dimple near one corner (top left of the package)

ˆ Notch or groove on one side of the IC body

ˆ Beveled edge or slanted corner (in some SMD packages)

From Pin 1, pins are numbered counterclockwise around the package.

3. Package Types and Examples

Package Type Description Example
DIP (Dual Inline Package) Two rows of through-hole pins 555 Timer
SOIC (Small Outline IC) Surface mount, wider than TSSOP LM324-SOIC
TSSOP, QFP, QFN High-density SMD packages Microcontrollers
BGA (Ball Grid Array) Balls underneath, very high density ARM processors

4. Precaution
ˆ Always match the IC’s markings and orientation with the schematic and footprint.

ˆ Using an IC backward can cause damage to the device or board.

Detailed List of Common IC Package Types

A. Through-Hole Packages
Package Full Name Description Applications
DIP Dual Inline Package Rectangular body with two par- Logic ICs, op-amps,
allel rows of pins; inserted into microcontrollers
holes
SIP Single Inline Package One row of pins Memory modules, re-
sistor networks
TO-92 Transistor Outline 92 Small cylindrical body with 3 Transistors, voltage
leads regulators
TO-220 Transistor Outline 220 Has a large heat sink tab, 3 pins Power regulators (e.g.,
7805)
TO-3 Transistor Outline 3 Metal can with two leads and High-power transis-
mounting holes tors

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B. Surface-Mount Packages
Package Full Name Description Applications
SOIC Small Outline IC Two gull-wing leads on opposite General-purpose SMD
sides, wider than DIP ICs
SOP Small Outline Package Similar to SOIC, often used inter- –
changeably
SSOP Shrink SOIC Smaller lead pitch than SOIC High-density SMD de-
signs
TSSOP Thin Shrink SOIC Thinner body and smaller pitch DSPs, microcon-
Package than SOIC trollers
MSOP Mini Small Outline Ultra-compact version of SOIC Battery-powered
Package devices
QFP Quad Flat Package Leads on all 4 sides, gull-wing Microcontrollers, FP-
style GAs
LQFP Low-profile QFP Thin version of QFP Advanced processors
PQFP Plastic QFP Variant of QFP –
QFN Quad Flat No-lead No protruding leads, metal pads RF chips, microcon-
underneath trollers
DFN Dual Flat No-lead Like QFN, but with pads on 2 Sensors, amplifiers
sides
BGA Ball Grid Array Array of solder balls on bottom CPUs, FPGAs, GPUs
surface
LGA Land Grid Array Flat contacts (lands) instead of Embedded processors
balls
CSP Chip Scale Package Very compact, package is almost Mobile devices
the same size as the die
SOT-23 Small Outline Transis- 3-lead package for small transis- Switching transistors
tor tors or ICs
TSOP Thin Small Outline Rectangular, thin body, leads on Memory ICs
Package 2 sides
WLCSP Wafer Level CSP Smallest, die-level packaging with High-performance
solder balls directly under silicon mobile ICs

Summary of Use
Category Preferred for
DIP/SIP/TO-92 Prototyping, hand-soldering
SOIC/TSSOP/QFP Medium-density, general SMD designs
QFN/BGA/CSP High-performance, compact designs
WLCSP/LGA Ultra-compact, mobile and embedded