Influence of assembly parameters on lead-free solder joints reliability in Package-on-Package (PoP) technology

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 98-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janusz Sitek ◽  
Wojciech Stęplewski ◽  
Kamil Janeczek ◽  
Marek Kościelski ◽  
Krzysztof Lipiec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joints ◽  
Accelerated Aging ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Process Window ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Materials Selection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Component Assembly

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of assembly parameters on lead-free solder joints reliability in Package-on-Package (PoP) Technology and demonstrate factors important for this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Two types of soldering materials and three different assembly procedures were used for assembly of PoP system. The reliability properties of assembled PoP systems were investigated using accelerated aging and periodic resistance measurements of daisy-chain solder joints systems. The purpose of such approach was to determine which soldering material (flux or solder paste) as well as which assembly process parameter (dipping depth of upper component in soldering material), would provide better reliability properties of the solder joints in the PoP system. Findings – It was stated that both selected flux and solder paste dedicated to assembly of PoP systems can be utilized in soldering of PoP applications. More reliable PoP systems applications require larger attention regarding materials selection and assembly parameters. It is recommended 50 per cent dipping depth of ball’s height into soldering material during upper PoP component assembly for more reliable applications. For less demanding PoP systems, the process window from 30 up to 70 per cent is acceptable. All observed failures after thermal shocks occurred in upper PoP components. Originality/value – This paper explains how materials and assembly parameters have influence on lead-free solder joints reliability in PoP systems. Especially, influence of process window for dipping procedure of upper components balls into soldering material was presented.

SAC–xTiO2 nano-reinforced lead-free solder joint characterizations in ultra-fine package assembly

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakhrozi Che Ani ◽  
Azman Jalar ◽  
Abdullah Aziz Saad ◽  
Chu Yee Khor ◽  
Roslina Ismail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Solder Joint ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Ion Beam ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Content Type ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Free Solder

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of ultra-fine lead-free solder joints reinforced with TiO2 nanoparticles in an electronic assembly. Design/methodology/approach This study focused on the microstructure and quality of solder joints. Various percentages of TiO2 nanoparticles were mixed with a lead-free Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder paste. This new form of nano-reinforced lead-free solder paste was used to assemble a miniature package consisting of an ultra-fine capacitor on a printed circuit board by means of a reflow soldering process. The microstructure and the fillet height were investigated using a focused ion beam, a high-resolution transmission electron microscope system equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), and a field emission scanning electron microscope coupled with an EDS and X-ray diffraction machine. Findings The experimental results revealed that the intermetallic compound with the lowest thickness was produced by the nano-reinforced solder with a TiO2 content of 0.05 Wt.%. Increasing the TiO2 content to 0.15 Wt.% led to an improvement in the fillet height. The characteristics of the solder joint fulfilled the reliability requirements of the IPC standards. Practical implications This study provides engineers with a profound understanding of the characteristics of ultra-fine nano-reinforced solder joint packages in the microelectronics industry. Originality/value The findings are expected to provide proper guidelines and references with regard to the manufacture of miniaturized electronic packages. This study also explored the effects of TiO2 on the microstructure and the fillet height of ultra-fine capacitors.

Quantitative Evaluation of Voids in Lead Free Solder Joints

2015 ◽  
Vol 772 ◽  
pp. 284-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabuj Mallik ◽  
Jude Njoku ◽  
Gabriel Takyi
Keyword(s):  
Solder Bump ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Void Formation ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Solder Bumps ◽  
Free Solder

Voiding in solder joints poses a serious reliability concern for electronic products. The aim of this research was to quantify the void formation in lead-free solder joints through X-ray inspections. Experiments were designed to investigate how void formation is affected by solder bump size and shape, differences in reflow time and temperature, and differences in solder paste formulation. Four different lead-free solder paste samples were used to produce solder bumps on a number of test boards, using surface mount reflow soldering process. Using an advanced X-ray inspection system void percentages were measured for three different size and shape solder bumps. Results indicate that the voiding in solder joint is strongly influenced by solder bump size and shape, with voids found to have increased when bump size decreased. A longer soaking period during reflow stage has negatively affectedsolder voids. Voiding was also accelerated with smaller solder particles in solder paste.

Thermo-mechanical challenges of reflowed lead-free solder joints in surface mount components: a review

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Sean Lau ◽  
C.Y. Khor ◽  
D. Soares ◽  
J.C. Teixeira ◽  
M.Z. Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joints ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Reflow Process ◽  
Reflow Soldering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Surface Mount ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Free Solder

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to review the thermo-mechanical challenges of reflowed lead-free solder joints in surface mount components (SMCs). The topics of the review include challenges in modelling of the reflow soldering process, optimization and the future challenges in the reflow soldering process. Besides, the numerical approach of lead-free solder reliability is also discussed. Design/methodology/approach Lead-free reflow soldering is one of the most significant processes in the development of surface mount technology, especially toward the miniaturization of the advanced SMCs package. The challenges lead to more complex thermal responses when the PCB assembly passes through the reflow oven. The virtual modelling tools facilitate the modelling and simulation of the lead-free reflow process, which provide more data and clear visualization on the particular process. Findings With the growing trend of computer power and software capability, the multidisciplinary simulation, such as the temperature and thermal stress of lead-free SMCs, under the influenced of a specific process atmosphere can be provided. A simulation modelling technique for the thermal response and flow field prediction of a reflow process is cost-effective and has greatly helped the engineer to eliminate guesswork. Besides, simulated-based optimization methods of the reflow process have gained popularity because of them being economical and have reduced time-consumption, and these provide more information compared to the experimental hardware. The advantages and disadvantages of the simulation modelling in the reflow soldering process are also briefly discussed. Practical implications This literature review provides the engineers and researchers with a profound understanding of the thermo-mechanical challenges of reflowed lead-free solder joints in SMCs and the challenges of simulation modelling in the reflow process. Originality/value The unique challenges in solder joint reliability, and direction of future research in reflow process were identified to clarify the solutions to solve lead-free reliability issues in the electronics manufacturing industry.

An Investigation of the Lead-Free Surface Mount Soldering Process: Solder Joint Evaluation and Process Optimisation

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Ryan ◽  
Jeff M. Punch ◽  
Bryan Rodgers ◽  
Greg Heaslip ◽  
Shane O’Neill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Screen Printing ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Surface Mount ◽  
Snagcu Solder ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Free Process ◽  
Free Solder

A European Union ban on lead in most electrical and electronic equipment will be imposed as of July 1st 2006. The ban, along with market pressures, means that manufacturers must transfer from a tin-lead soldering process to a lead-free process. In this paper the implications on the surface mount (SMT) soldering process are presented. A set of experiments was conducted to investigate the screen-printing and reflow steps of the SMT process using a tin-silver-copper (95.5Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu) solder and a baseline of standard tin-lead (63Sn37Pb). 10×10 arrays of micro Ball Grid Array (micro-BGA) components mounted on 8-layer FR4 printed wiring boards (PWBs) were used. The screen-printing experiment addressed the deposition of the solder paste on the board. The parameters used in the investigation were print speed, squeegee pressure, snap-off distance, separation speed and cleaning interval, with the responses being measurements of paste height and volume. Optimum screen-printer settings were determined which give adequate paste volume and height and a good print definition. The reflow experiment investigated the following parameters of the temperature profile: preheat, soak, peak and cool down temperatures, and conveyor speed. The resulting solder joints were evaluated using cross-section analysis and x-ray techniques in order to determine the presence of defects. A mechanical fatigue test was also carried out in order to compare the strength of the solder joints. The overall quality of the lead-free solder joints was determined from these tests and compared to that of tin-lead. The outcome is a set of manufacturing guidelines for transferring to lead-free solder including optimum screen-printer and reflow oven settings for use with an SnAgCu solder.

Site Redressing Techniques and Rework of Lead-Free Chip Scale Packages

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Gowda ◽  
Anthony Primavera ◽  
K. Srihari
Keyword(s):  
Printed Circuit Board ◽  
Circuit Board ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Printed Circuit ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Component Assembly ◽  
Free Area

The implementation of lead-free solder into an electronics assembly process necessitates the reassessment of the individual factors involved in component attachment and rework. A component assembly undergoes multiple thermal cycles during rework. With the use of lead-free solder, the assemblies are subjected to higher assembly and rework temperatures than those required for eutectic tin-lead assemblies. The rework of lead-free area array components involves the removal of defective component, preparation of the printed circuit board attachment pad (site redressing), solder paste replenishment or flux deposition, and component placement and reflow. This paper primarily focuses on the site redressing aspect of lead-free rework, followed by the development of rework processes for lead-free chip scale packages utilizing the knowledge gained in the site redressing studies.

Characterization of SAC – x NiO nano-reinforced lead-free solder joint in an ultra-fine package assembly

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakhrozi Che Ani ◽  
Azman Jalar ◽  
Abdullah Aziz Saad ◽  
Chu Yee Khor ◽  
Mohamad Aizat Abas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Solder Joint ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Nio Nanoparticles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Free Solder

Purpose This study aims to investigate the NiO nano-reinforced solder joint characteristics of ultra-fine electronic package. Design/methodology/approach Lead-free Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder paste was mixed with various percentages of NiO nanoparticles to prepare the new form of nano-reinforced solder paste. The solder paste was applied to assemble the ultra-fine capacitor using the reflow soldering process. A focussed ion beam, high resolution transmission electron microscopy system equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was used in this study. In addition, X-ray inspection system, field emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDS, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nanoindenter were used to analyse the solder void, microstructure, hardness and fillet height of the solder joint. Findings The experimental results revealed that the highest fillet height was obtained with the content of 0.01 Wt.% of nano-reinforced NiO, which fulfilled the reliability requirements of the international IPC standard. However, the presence of the NiO in the lead-free solder paste only slightly influenced the changes of the intermetallic layer with the increment of weighted percentage. Moreover, the simulation method was applied to observe the distribution of NiO nanoparticles in the solder joint. Originality/value The findings are expected to provide a profound understanding of nano-reinforced solder joint’s characteristics of the ultra-fine package.

Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of Lead-Free Solder Materials

2013 ◽  
Vol 592-593 ◽  
pp. 453-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandr Otáhal ◽  
Martin Adamek ◽  
Vojtech Jansa ◽  
Ivan Szendiuch
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Electronic Systems ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Electronic Products ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Negative Factors

Reliability and life-time of electric/electronic products is still a highly actual and discussed topic. Every electric/electronic product is heterogeneous system which consists not only from components and constructional parts, but also from many interconnections. Basic segments of interconnection are solder joints, recently created by lead-free materials. The passing from well-proven lead solders to lead free compositions brought many new aspects in reliability and life-time of electronic systems. Some of the negative factors are their poor electro-mechanical properties, which are based on complicated microstructure of interlayer interface. This fact causes defects in solder joints and consequential failure of the function. This article is focused on an investigation of mechanical properties of lead-free solder joints. There are investigated various properties of common lead-free solder paste depending on various concentrations of O2 by reflow process and on various components size. Next, there are shown microstructures by micro sections for various concentrations of O2. Mechanical properties (mechanical strength) are tested by shear test equipment DAGE 2400.

Influence of the fluxes properties on quality and the microstructure of lead-free solder joints executed by selective soldering

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Koscielski ◽  
Janusz Sitek
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Dynamic Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Solids Content

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of the properties of new compositions of fluxes for selective soldering on lead-free solder joints quality and microstructures as well as showing which flux properties are the most important. Design/methodology/approach – The three different types of fluxes were tested, which differed in composition, solids content, amount and type of activators added. The selective soldering process was done with the use of lead-free solder SAC 305. The test boards had two coatings SnCu (HASL) or Au/Ni. Basic chemical and physical properties of fluxes were examined according to the relevant standards. Different types of components from the bulky ones, demanding more heat, to the smaller ones were used during the assembly process. AOI and X-ray analyses as well as cross-sections and SEM analyses were utilized to deeply assess the quality and microstructure of the investigated solder joints. Findings – The results showed that information about density or static activity of flux is not enough for correct flux assessment. The dynamic activity of flux measured by wetting balance method is the best for this, especially in the case when there is short soldering time and heat transfer is hindered. The quality and the microstructure of lead-free solder joints are related not only with wetting properties of the flux used for soldering but also with other properties like solids content in a flux. Research limitations/implications – It is suggested that further studies are necessary for the confirmation of the practical application, especially of the reliability properties of the joints obtained with the use of the elaborated fluxes. Originality/value – The results showed that type of flux (ORL or ROL) as well as minor changes in their dynamic activity and solids content might have significant influence on quality of solder joints and their microstructure. It was noted that selective soldering is demanding technique and optimization of soldering process for different type of components and fluxes is important.

The Effect of Multiple Reflow Times on Lead-Free Solder Joint Microstructure

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami T. Nurmi ◽  
Janne J. Sundelin ◽  
Eero O. Ristolainen ◽  
Toivo K. Lepisto¨
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joint ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Snagcu Solder ◽  
Silver Copper ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Tin Silver Copper ◽  
Lead Free Solders

As environmental issues are raising more interest and are becoming crucial factors in all parts of the world, more and more environmental-friendly electronics products are emerging. Usually this means the introduction of products with lead-free solders. However, the reliability of lead-free solders is still a serious concern despite the vast research done in this field. This paper will describe the interconnect reliability of three kinds of solder joints respectively prepared with lead-free solder paste and lead-free PBGA components, lead-free solder paste and tin-lead-silver PBGA components, and tin-lead solder paste and tin-lead-silver PBGA components. Lead-free and tin-lead solders were composed of eutectic tin-silver-copper and tin-lead, respectively. In addition, the study also presents the effect of multiple reflow times. The study focuses on the microstructures of different assemblies. The particular interest is on the assemblies soldered with lead-free solder paste and tin-lead-silver PBGA components, since the SnPbAg solder on the bumps of the PBGA components were exposed to the reflow profile meant for the lead-free SnAgCu solder. Thus, these SnPbAg solder bumps were in the molten state almost twice as long as the rest of the solders. This had a notable effect on the reliability of these solder joints as we will be showing later in this paper. The test boards were temperature-cycled for 2500 cycles between −40 and +125°C (a 30-minute cycle). PBGA solder joint failures were monitored with a real time monitoring system. Optical and scanning electron microscopy was used to inspect the broken solder joints and their microstructure. The results of tests indicate that the number of reflow times can significantly affect the lifetime of PBGA solder joints. The most notable changes can be seen in the solder joints made with tin-lead-silver PBGA components and tin-silver-copper solder paste soldered with a lead-free reflow profile. The general trend was that the reliability of the solder joints increased in proportion to the number of reflow times. Mainly two factors are believed to have the major effect on the reliability of PBGA solder joints, voids, and microstructural changes in solder.

Advances on high current load effects on lead-free solder joints of SMD chip-size components and BGAs

Circuit World ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44
Author(s):  
Dániel Straubinger ◽  
Attila Géczy ◽  
András Sipos ◽  
András Kiss ◽  
Dániel Gyarmati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Density ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
High Current ◽  
Current Load ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chip Size ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Current Loading

Purpose This paper aims to present a novel approach on investigating critical current densities in the solder joints of chip-size surface-mounted components or device (SMD) components and ball grid array (BGA) lead-free solder joints with the focus of via-in-pad geometries. The investigation involves a numerical approach and a physical validation with selected geometry configurations and high current loads to reveal possible failure sources. The work is a continuation of a previous study. Design/methodology/approach Current density was investigated using finite element modeling on BGA joints. Dummy BGA components, 0402 and 0603 zero ohm jumper resistors, were used, both in daisy chain setups on standard FR4 printed circuit boards (PCBs). Respective physical loading experiments were set to find effects of elevated current density at hot zones of the joints. Cross-section analysis, scanning electron microscopy and shear force tests were used to analyze the joints. Findings The findings reveal alterations in the joints, while the current loading is not directly affecting the structure. The modeling reveals the current density map in the selected formations with increased current crowding zones. Overall, the degradation does not reach the level of electromigration (EM)-induced voiding due to the limiting factor of the FR4 substrate. Practical implications The heavy current load affects joint reliability, but there are limitations of EM-induced failures on PCB-based assemblies due to the thermomechanical weakness of the FR4 material. Originality/value The experiments investigate current density from a novel aspect on frequently used BGA surface mounted components with modeling configurations focusing on possible effects of via-in-pad structure.

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