Is there any problems if I change 0805 too 0402 surface mount or smaller?

In order to reduce the size of a PCB, I will probably have to use smaller SM components. I currently use mostly 0805 passives, and am thinking about going to 0402 or smaller. Apart from power dissipation considerations, any pitfalls I should be aware of when making the transition?

PCB Design
December 12, 2023

0402 obviously is harder to hand assemble. If you need to get them assembled by machine, please notice the following tips.

The assembler’s pick & place machine can even handle 0402 at a good rate & yield.
Double-sided load. Some boards just need this assembly step, like BGA often puts decoupling caps on the bottom of the board.
Electrical properties. The obvious one is, of course, the power rating of resistors. Voltage rating is not only likely worse due to the physical smaller dimensions, but also consider the voltage bias degradation effect of ceramic class 2 capacitors. For smaller packages in same voltage/capacitance, this effect may be worse.

On the other hand, some properties, like lead inductance, is lower. In addition, sometimes you can put capacitors right at the chip pins for QFP style packages, while routing signals underneath the chip. In effect, the loop area for the decoupling capacitor is much much smaller than a larger size capacitor, which may be placed further away to comply with signal routing.

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Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

Oliver Smith

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