Flatpack (electronics)

The main vehicle for testing of high reliability flatpack packages has been MIL-PRF-38534 (General Specification for Hybrid Microcircuits).

This document outlines the general requirements of fully assembled devices, whether they are single chip, multichip, or of hybrid technology.

The original flatpack was invented by Y. Tao in 1962 while he was working for Texas Instruments to improve heat dissipation.

Integrated circuits needed more leads to take full advantage of increasing device density.

Since flat packages were made of glass, ceramic and metal, they could provide hermetic seals for circuits, protecting them from moisture and corrosion.

A TTL logic gate in a flat pack package
Flat pack integrated circuits welded on PCB in the Apollo guidance computer
A flatpack integrated circuit on a circuit board , among TO-5 packages