Abstract: The invention provides thermally enhanced BGAs and methods for their fabrication with a ground ring suitable for operably coupling to either the frontside or backside, or both, of an IC chip mounted on a substrate. The methods and devices of the invention disclosed include the fabrication of a ground ring on the surface of a BGA substrate prepared for receiving the frontside of the chip. A heat spreader has ground ring corresponding to substrate round ring and is attached at the backside of the chip with a conductive material. A conductive material is interposed between the heat spreader and substrate ground rings, electrically coupling them. Thus, the backside of the chip may be electrically connected to the ground ring as well as, or instead of, the frontside.