scholarly journals Vapour phase soldering (VPS) technology: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balázs Illés ◽  
Attila Géczy ◽  
Bálint Medgyes ◽  
Gábor Harsányi
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Vapour Phase ◽  
Void Content ◽  
Reflow Soldering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Characterization Methods ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Recent Developments

Purpose This paper aims to present a review of the recent developments in vapour phase soldering (VPS) technology. This study focuses on the following topics: recent developments of the technology, i.e. soft and vacuum VPS; measurement and characterization methods of vapour space, i.e. temperature and pressure; numerical simulation of the VPS soldering process, i.e. condensate layer and solder joint formation; and quality and reliability studies of the solder joints prepared by VPS, i.e. void content and microstructure of the solder joints. Design/methodology/approach This study was written according to the results of a wide literature review about the substantial previous works in the past decade and according to the authors’ own results. Findings Up to now, a part of the electronics industry believes that the reflow soldering with VPS method is a significant alternative of convection and infrared technologies. The summarized results of the field in this study support this idea. Research limitations/implications This literature review provides engineers and researchers with understanding of the limitations and application possibilities of the VPS technology and the current challenges in soldering technology. Originality/value This paper summarizes the most important advantages and disadvantages of VPS technology compared to the other reflow soldering methods, as well as points out the necessary further developments and possible research directions.

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.

Current CITE-ings from the popular and trade computing press: telework and telecommuting

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Kesselman
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Virtual Reference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Better Than

Purpose – This article examines Current CITE-ings from the Popular and Trade Computing Press, Telework and Telecommuting Design/methodology/approach – The methodology adopted is a literature review. Findings – Readily available technologies now allow librarians to perform most of their work-offsite. Some traditional building-based services such as reference, have been taken over by virtual reference and now even instruction offers options on par with or even better than classroombased questions such as a webinar that can be viewed and reviewed at any time or by having librarians embedded into various courseware packages. Researchlimitations/implications – Librarians no longer need be limited to a single library; groups of subject librarians can work together in the cloud to provide services to multiple universities. Originality/value – This article collates some articles from the non-library literature that mayprovide some ideas and review advantages and disadvantages for both the library and employee

X-ray inspection and Six-Sigma in analysis of LED thermal pad coverage

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Dziurdzia ◽  
Janusz Mikolajek
Keyword(s):  
Six Sigma ◽  
Vapour Phase ◽  
Inspection System ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Process Variables ◽  
Reflow Soldering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Solder Pastes ◽  
Free Solder

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate selected methods of reduction voidings in lead-free solder joints underneath thermal pads of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), using X-ray inspection and Six Sigma methodology. Design/methodology/approach On the basis of cause and effect diagram for solder voiding, the potential causes of voids and influence of process variables on void formation were found. Three process variables were chosen: the type of reflow soldering, vacuum incorporation and the type of solder paste. Samples of LEDs were mounted with convection and vapour phase reflow soldering. Vacuum was incorporated into vapour phase soldering. Two types of solder pastes OM338PT and LFS-216LT were used. Algorithm incorporated into X-ray inspection system enabled to calculate the statistical distribution of LED thermal pad coverage and to find the process capability index (Cpk) of applied soldering techniques. Findings The evaluation of selected soldering processes of LEDs in respect of their thermal pad coverage and statistical Cpk indices is presented. Vapour-phase soldering with vacuum is capable (Cpk > 1) for OM338PT and LFS-216LT paste. Convection reflow without vacuum with LFS-216LT paste is also capable (Cpk = 1.1). Other technological soldering processes require improvements. Vacuum improves radically the capability of a reflow soldering for an LED assembly. When vacuum is not accessible, some improvement of capability to a lower extent is possible by an application of void-free solder pastes. Originality/value Six Sigma statistical methodology combined with X-ray diagnosis was used to check whether applied methods of void reduction underneath LED thermal pads are capable processes.

scholarly journals Head-on-Pillow Defect Detection: X-Ray Inspection Limitations

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-102
Author(s):  
Lars Bruno ◽  
Benny Gustafson
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joints ◽  
Solder Paste ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Reflow Soldering ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Irregular Shapes ◽  
Fine Pitch ◽  
Solder Balls ◽  
Ball Grid Array Packages

Abstract Both the number and the variants of ball grid array packages (BGAs) are tending to increase on network printed board assemblies with sizes ranging from a few millimeter die size wafer level packages with low ball count to large multidie system-in-package (SiP) BGAs with 60–70 mm side lengths and thousands of I/Os. One big challenge, especially for large BGAs, SiPs, and for thin fine-pitch BGA assemblies, is the dynamic warpage during the reflow soldering process. This warpage could lead to solder balls losing contact with the solder paste and its flux during parts of the soldering process, and this may result in solder joints with irregular shapes, indicating poor or no coalescence between the added solder and the BGA balls. This defect is called head-on-pillow (HoP) and is a failure type that is difficult to determine. In this study, x-ray inspection was used as a first step to find deliberately induced HoP defects, followed by prying off of the BGAs to verify real HoP defects and the fault detection correlation between the two methods. The result clearly shows that many of the solder joints classified as potential HoP defects in the x-ray analysis have no evidence at all of HoP after pry-off. This illustrates the difficulty of determining where to draw the line between pass and fail for HoP defects when using x-ray inspection.

Influence of moisture concentration and hydrophobic material on induced stress in FCBGA package under reflow

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elwin Heng ◽  
Mohd Zulkifly Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Reflow Process ◽  
Test Vehicle ◽  
Moisture Concentration ◽  
Reflow Soldering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Induced Stress ◽  
Microelectronics Industry ◽  
Hydrophilic Materials ◽  
Hydrophobic Material

Purpose This paper focuses on the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis of moisture induced stress for the flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) package with hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials during the reflow soldering process. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of moisture concentration and FCBGA with hydrophobic material on induced pressure and stress in the package at varies times. Design/methodology/approach The present study analyzed the warpage deformation during the reflow process via visual inspection machine (complied to Joint Electron Device Engineering Council standard) and FSI simulation by using ANSYS/FLUENT package. The direct concentration approach is used to model moisture diffusion and ANSYS is used to predict the Von-Misses stress. Models of Test Vehicle 1 (similar to Xie et al., 2009b) and Test Vehicle 2 (FCBGA package) with the combination of hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials are performed. The simulation for different moisture concentrations with reflows process time has been conducted. Findings The results from the mechanical reliability study indicate that the FSI analysis is found to be in good agreement with the published study and acceptable agreement with the experimental result. The maximum Von-Misses stress induced by the moisture significantly increased on FCBGA with hydrophobic material compared to FCBGA with a hydrophilic material. The presence of hydrophobic material that hinders the moisture desorption process. The analysis also illustrated the moisture could very possibly reside in electronic packaging and developed beyond saturated vapor into superheated vapor or compressed liquid, which exposed electronic packaging to higher stresses. Practical implications The findings provide valuable guidelines and references to engineers and packaging designers during the reflow soldering process in the microelectronics industry. Originality/value Studies on the influence of moisture concentration and hydrophobic material are still limited and studies on FCBGA package warpage under reflow process involving the effect of hydrophobic and hydrophilic materials are rarely reported. Thus, this study is important to effectively bridge the research gap and yield appropriate guidelines in the microelectronics industry.

scholarly journals Advances in pressure sensing for vapour phase soldering process monitoring

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Amine Alaya ◽  
Attila Geczy ◽  
Balazs Illes ◽  
Gábor Harsányi ◽  
David Bušek
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Printed Circuit Board ◽  
Pressure Sensors ◽  
Vapour Phase ◽  
Circuit Board ◽  
Power Functions ◽  
Monitoring Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Soldering Process

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to improve the control of vapour phase soldering (VPS). To enable better productivity and assembling quality, the industry needs to provide precise control and measurements during assembling. In the paper, a special monitoring method is presented for VPS to enable improved process control and oven state identification. Design/methodology/approach The work presents the investigation of the workspace with dynamic and gage type pressure sensors in fusion with thermocouples. Different sensors were evaluated to find an appropriate type. The relation between the temperature and the pressure was investigated, according to the setup of the oven. The effect of inserting a printed circuit board (PCB) on the pressure of the vapour inside the oven was also investigated with the pressure/power functions. Findings It was found that the novel gage-type sensors enable better precision than solutions seen in previous literature. The sensors are able to monitor the decreasing vapour concentration when a PCB is inserted to the workspace. It was found that there is a suggested minimum power to sustain a well-developed vapour column for soldering in saturated vapour. An inflexion point highlights this in the pressure/power function, in accordance with the temperature/power curve. Originality/value The research presents original works with aspects of a novel sensor fusion concept and work space monitoring for better process control and improved soldering quality.

Mechanical reliability of solder joints in PCBs assembled in surface mount technology

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janusz Borecki ◽  
Tomasz Serzysko
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Strength ◽  
Shear Force ◽  
Printed Circuit Boards ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Electronic Device ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Operational Conditions ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the dependence of mechanical strength of solder joints on printed circuit boards from the soldering process parameters and operating conditions of the electronic device. Design/methodology/approach – The research was performed using the Taguchi method of planning of experiments. Evaluation of the quality of solder joints was made on the basis of microscopic observations, X-ray analysis and measurements of shear force of solder joints. Findings – The carried out research has shown the influence of the individual parameters of the soldering process on the mechanical strength of solder joints and the mechanism of damage of solder joints under the influence of shear force. Originality/value – The authors present results of their research using advanced techniques of experimental design and analysis of results. In this study, original approach was used to simulate the operational conditions of electronic devices including thermal imaging technology.

Solder joint quality evaluation based on heating factor

Circuit World ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Veselý ◽  
Eva Horynová ◽  
Jiří Starý ◽  
David Bušek ◽  
Karel Dušek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strength ◽  
Solder Alloy ◽  
Isothermal Aging ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Strength Increase ◽  
Technological Parameters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Joint Quality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to increase the reliability of manufactured electronics and to reveal reliability significant factors. The experiments were focused especially on the influence of the reflow oven parameters presented by a heating factor. Design/methodology/approach The shear strength of the surface mount device (SMD) resistors and their joint resistance were analyzed. The resistors were assembled with two Sn/Ag/Cu-based and one Bi-based solder pastes, and the analysis was done for several values of the heating factor and before and after isothermal aging. The measurement of thickness of intermetallic compounds was conducted on the micro-sections of the solder joints. Findings The shear strength of solder joints based on the Sn/Ag/Cu-based solder alloy started to decline after the heating factor reached the value of 500 s · K, whereas the shear strength of the solder alloy based on the Bi alloy (in the measured range) always increased with an increase in the heating factor. Also, the Bi-based solder joints showed shear strength increase after isothermal aging in contrast to Sn/Ag/Cu-based solder joints, which showed shear strength decrease. Originality/value The interpretation of the results of such a comprehensive measurement leads to a better understanding of the mutual relation between reliability and other technological parameters such as solder alloy type, surface finish and parameters of the soldering process.

Comparing the reliability and intermetallic layer of solder joints prepared with infrared and vapour phase soldering

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 214-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivér Krammer
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Shear Strength ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Intermetallic Layer ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Vapour Phase ◽  
Processing Algorithm ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Image Processing Algorithm ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the reliability and intermetallic layer (IML) of solder joints prepared with infrared (IR) and vapour phase (VP) soldering. The reliability of 0603-sized resistors’ solder joints formed with IR and VP soldering was investigated. The IML of the joints was analysed based on image processing algorithm automatically. Design/methodology/approach – For the reliability analyses, the ageing method was a highly accelerated stress test (HAST) with +105°C maximum temperature, fully saturated (100 per cent) relative humidity at +0.5 atm overpressure. The joints were characterised based on the thickness of their IML and on their shear strength in as-reflowed stage, and after 400, 800, 1,200, 1,600 and 2,000 hours of HAST. An image processing algorithm was developed to measure the thickness of the IMLs on cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images automatically. Findings – The increase of the IML thickness is lower in the case of HAST ageing compared to other methods. The thickness increment of the Cu6Sn5 layer was higher for IR and lower for VP soldering; the Cu3Sn layer cannot be inspected even after 2,000 hours of HAST ageing. The results of shear strength measurements show better reliability for VP soldered joints. Practical implications – The developed image processing method is applicable to obtain quantitative results about the IMLs in an effective fast way. Originality/value – There is a lack of information in the literature regarding the reliability comparison of solder joints formed with VP and conventional reflow processes. Thus, we performed research about the lifetime of solder joints formed with VP and IR reflow method.

Microstructures evolution and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds in Cu/Sn/Cu system during ultrasonic soldering process

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Han ◽  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Peng Yao
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Microstructural Evolution ◽  
Growth Kinetics ◽  
Boundary Diffusion ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Soldering Process ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Ultrasonic Soldering ◽  
Kinetics Of

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of ultrasound on interfacial microstructures and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at different temperatures. Design/methodology/approach To investigate the effect of ultrasound on IMCs growth quantitatively, the cross-sectional area of IMCs layers over a confirmed length was obtained for calculating the thickness of the IMCs layer. Findings The generation of dimensional difference in normal direction between Cu6Sn5 and its adjacent Cu6Sn5, formation of bossed Cu6Sn5 and non-interfacial Cu6Sn5 in ultrasonic solder joints made the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer present a non-scallop-like morphology different from that of traditional solder joints. At 260°C and 290°C, the Cu3Sn layer presented a wave-like shape. In contrast, at 320°C, the Cu3Sn in ultrasonic solder joints consisted of non-interfacial Cu3Sn and interfacial Cu3Sn with a branch-like shape. The Cu6Sn5/Cu3Sn boundary and Cu3Sn/Cu interface presented a sawtooth-like shape under the effect of ultrasound. The predominant mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted growth of Cu6Sn5 growth at 260°C, 290°C and 320°C involved the grain boundary diffusion accompanied by grain coarsening. The Cu3Sn growth was controlled by volume diffusion during the ultrasonic soldering process at 260°C and 290°C. The diffusion mechanism of Cu3Sn growth transformed to grain boundary diffusion accompanied by grain coarsening when the ultrasonic soldering temperature was increased to 320°C. Originality/value The microstructural evolution and growth kinetics of IMCs in ultrasonically prepared ultrasonic solder joints at different temperatures have rarely been reported in previous studies. In this study, the effect of ultrasound on microstructural evolution and growth kinetics of IMCs was systematically investigated.

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