The application of transient thermal analysis in solder joint thermal fatigue life analysis

Author(s):  
Xianglei Kong ◽  
Fengming Lu ◽  
Weili Li
2009 ◽  
Vol 2009.22 (0) ◽  
pp. 718-719
Author(s):  
Mitsuyoshi Tsutsumi ◽  
Keiji Ogi ◽  
Manabu Takahashi ◽  
Nobuhiro Settu ◽  
Nagatoshi Okabe

Author(s):  
Tomohiro Takahashi ◽  
Qiang Yu ◽  
Masahiro Kobayashi

For power module, the reliability evaluation of thermal fatigue life by power cycling has been prioritized as an important concern. Since in power cycling produces there exists non-uniform temperature distribution in the power module, coupled thermal-structure analysis is required to evaluate thermal fatigue mechanism. The thermal expansion difference between a Si chip and a substrate causes thermal fatigue. In this study, thermal fatigue life of solder joints on power module was evaluated. The finite element method (FEM) was used to evaluate temperature distribution induced by joule heating. Higher temperature appears below the Al wire because the electric current flows through the bonding Al wire. Coupled thermal-structure analysis is also required to evaluate the inelastic strain distribution. The damage of each part of solder joint can be calculated from equivalent inelastic strain range and crack propagation was simulated by deleting damaged elements step by step. The initial cracks were caused below the bonding Al wire and propagated concentrically under power cycling. There is the difference from environmental thermal cycling where the crack initiated at the edge of solder layer. In addition, in order to accurately evaluate the thermal fatigue life, the factors affecting the thermal fatigue life of solder joint where verified using coupled electrical-thermal-structural analysis. Then, the relation between the thermal fatigue life of solder joint and each factor is clarified. The precision evaluation for the thermal fatigue life of power module is improved.


Author(s):  
T. E. Wong ◽  
C. Chu

A simplified method was developed to determine the fatigue life of a ceramic column grid array (CCGA) solder joint when exposed to thermal environments. The CCGA package with 90Pb/10Sn solder columns is soldered onto the printed circuit board with a tin-lead solder paste. Failure of the solder joint occurs at the CCGA solder column. A closed-form solution with the equilibrium of displacements of electronic package assembly was first derived to calculate the solder joint strains during the temperature cycling. In the calculation, an iteration technique was used to obtain a convergent solution in the solder strains, and the elastic material properties were used for all the electronic package assembly components except for the solder materials, which used elastic-plastic properties. A fatigue life prediction model, evolved from an empirically derived formula based upon a modified Coffin-Manson fatigue theory, was then established. CCGA test results, obtained from various sources, combined with the derived solder strains were used to calibrate the proposed life prediction model. In the model calibration process, the 625- and 1657-pin CCGA test results, which were cycled between 20°C/90°C, 0°C/100°C, −55°C/110°C, or −55°C/125°C, were reasonably well correlated to the calculated values of solder strains. In addition, this calibrated model is remarkably simple compared to the model used in an evaluation by a finite element analysis. Therefore, this model could be used and is recommended to serve as an effective tool to make a preliminarily estimate at the CCGA solder joint thermal fatigue life. It is also recommended to 1) select more study cases with various solder joint configurations, package sizes, environmental profiles, etc. to further calibrate this life prediction model, 2) use this model to conduct parametric studies to identify critical factors impacting solder joint fatigue life and then seeking an optimum design, and 3) develop a similar life prediction model for lead-free solder materials.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (1) ◽  
pp. 000902-000907
Author(s):  
Gordon Elger ◽  
Shri Vishnu Kandaswamy ◽  
Robert Derix ◽  
Jürgen Wilde

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are today standard and mature light sources. They have several key advantages, like small size, low energy consumption and long lifetime. However, high reliability of the LED system is required to achieve long lifetime of the light source. Thermo-mechanical stress due to temperature cycle causes failure of electronic systems. The electronic component itself or the interconnect device, e.g. printed circuit board (PCB) might fail. In many cases, the weakest link is found to be the solder interconnect between package and the board. Cracking of the interconnect causes an open contact and the system fails. In this paper we compare the existing methods to investigate LED interconnect failures during temperature cycle tests like the simple “light-on-test”, electric resistance measurement and the shear test. We describe and introduce the transient thermal analysis as a measurement method. We present the first reliability data analysis with transient thermal analysis of ceramic high power LED packages on Al-IMS during air to air thermal shock test (−40°C to +125°C) and correlate it with cross sections. We demonstrate the sensitivity of the thermal analysis to detect solder joint failures of the assembly. We compare the results with electric resistance measurements and light on tests and show that the resolution is significantly higher compared to the methods applied today. The sensitivity of the method enables us to detect the crack in a solder joint much earlier than the final failure of the joint, i.e. the open contact.


Author(s):  
T. E. Wong ◽  
C. Y. Lau ◽  
H. S. Fenger

A simple analysis method was developed to determine the fatigue life of a ceramic ball grid array (CBGA) solder joint when exposed to thermal environments. The solder joint consists of a 90Pb/10Sn solder ball with eutectic solder on both top and bottom of the ball. Failure of the solder joint occurs at the eutectic solder. A closed-form solution with the equilibrium of displacements of electronic package assembly was first developed to calculate the solder joint strains during the temperature cycling. In the calculation, an iteration technique was used to obtain a convergent solution in the solder strains, and the elastic material properties were used for all the electronic package assembly components except for the solder materials, which used elastic-plastic properties. A fatigue life prediction model, evolved from an empirically derived formula based upon a modified Coffin-Manson fatigue theory, was then established. CBGA test results, obtained from Motorola, combined with the derived solder strains were used to calibrate the proposed life prediction model. In the model calibration process, the 255- and 304-pin CBGA test results, which were cycled between 0°C and 100°C or −40°C and 125°C, were reasonably well correlated to the calculated values of solder strains. In addition, this calibrated model is remarkably simple compared to the model used in an evaluation by finite element analysis. Therefore, this model could be used and is recommended to serve as an effective tool to preliminarily estimate the CBGA solder joint thermal fatigue life.


Author(s):  
Y. S. Chan ◽  
C. Yang ◽  
S. W. Ricky Lee

The present study evaluates the relative thermal fatigue life of tin-silver-copper (SnAgCu or SAC) lead-free and tin-lead (SnPb) solders with custom-made BGA assembly configurations generating various stress ranges under thermal cyclic loading. Although the SAC solder bears a lower creep strain rate compared with the SnPb solder in common thermal cycling conditions, it is found that there exits conditions at which the SnPb solder joint maintain a longer life than the SAC solder joint. The determination lies on the maximum normalized equivalent stress levels (σ/E) experienced by the two kinds of solder joint during the temperature cycles. Even under the same straining and thermal cycling condition, it is observed that the maximum σ/E induced in the two kinds of solder joint are normally different, as a result of their different rate of stress relaxation. The analysis shows that both the absolute and relative magnitude of σ/E experienced by the two kinds of solder joint affect the relative life. In general, the SAC solder joint sustain a longer life at low σ/E levels, while the SnPb solder joint outperform the SAC solder joint at high σ/E levels. There exists a critical σ/E level at which both solder joints acquire similar performance. However, this margin shifts with the relative magnitude of σ/E the two kinds of solder joint suffered. Having studied the variation of σ/E for the two kinds of solder joint under various loading conditions, this study uncovers the rationale for the difference in the relative thermal fatigue life of the two kinds of solder joint.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document