PHONEDOCTOR GLOSSARY
Board & Chip Repair Terms
6 terms your technician uses when diagnosing faults at the logic board level — the most complex category of phone repair.
MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD
Logic Board
The main circuit board inside a phone — equivalent to a computer’s motherboard. Houses the CPU, RAM, storage, and all core chips. Damage is the most serious and expensive phone repair. Apple calls it a “logic board”; other brands call it a “motherboard.”
Read definition →SPECIALIST TECHNIQUE
Microsoldering
Repair performed under a microscope on the logic board — replacing individual chips and repairing solder joints as small as 0.3mm. Enables chip-level repair instead of full board replacement. Requires specialist tools and years of training.
Read definition →CHIP PACKAGING
BGA (Ball Grid Array)
The chip packaging used on phone logic boards. Chips connect via hundreds of tiny solder balls on their underside — invisible once assembled. Requires hot air rework stations and microscopes to remove, reflow, or replace. Most major phone chips are BGA.
Read definition →CHIP REPAIR PROCESS
Reballing
Removing all solder balls from a BGA chip and replacing them with fresh ones before reinstalling. Required when solder connections are cracked, corroded, or missing — but the chip itself is still functional. Common after water damage or heavy drops.
Read definition →BOARD-LEVEL CHIP
Touch IC
The integrated circuit on the logic board that processes signals from the digitiser. When it fails, the phone registers ghost touches or stops responding to touch entirely — even after a brand new screen is fitted. Requires board-level microsoldering to replace.
Read definition →ELECTRONIC COMPONENT
IC (Integrated Circuit)
A miniaturised electronic circuit embedded on a chip. Every function in your phone — charging, display, audio, touch — is controlled by one or more ICs. IC failure is the root cause of most board-level faults and requires microsoldering to fix.
Read definition →Dead phone, boot loop, or ghost touch after a drop?
PhoneDoctor specialises in chip-level logic board repair for all major phone brands. Free diagnostics, 90-day warranty.