A Fracture Mechanics Approach to Thermal Fatigue Life Prediction of Solder Joints

1990 ◽  
Vol 203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Hsin Pao
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Thermal Fatigue ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Failure Process ◽  
Growth Equation ◽  
Thermal Fatigue Crack ◽  
Runge Kutta Method ◽  
Growth History

ABSTRACTThe approach developed is based on the assumption that thermal fatigue crack propagation in solder joints is primarily controlled by C* and J integrals. The effect of microstructural coarsening on crack propagation is discussed. A fracture criterion, J≥Jc, is used to define the failure of the joints. A crack growth governing equation has been formulated and can be numerically integrated to obtain the crack growth history given stress history as an input. The approach was applied to model the experiment by Wong and Helling [15]. In their experiment, surface-mounted electronic devices using eutectic Pb/Sn solder were tested in thermal cycles of −20 to 100°C and −55 to 125°C. A unified constitutive equation was assumed for the eutectic Pb/Sn solder. An equation for solving the shear stress in the joint was formulated and is coupled with the crack growth equation. Both equations were solved simultaneously by the Runge-Kutta method for the stress-time and crack growth history. The results of the prediction are in a good agreement with the experimental data, which indicates that fracture mechanics may be applied to describe the failure process of solder joints under cyclic thermal loadings.

Nondestructive Observation of Thermal Fatigue Crack Propagation in FBGA and Die Attached Solder Joints by Synchrotron Radiation X-Ray Laminography

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Tsuritani ◽  
Toshihiko Sayama ◽  
Yoshiyuki Okamoto ◽  
Takeshi Takayanagi ◽  
Masato Hoshino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Crack ◽  
Synchrotron Radiation ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Thermal Fatigue ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Fatigue Cracks ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Micro Cracks ◽  
Solder Bumps

The reliability of solder joints on printed circuit boards (PCBs) is significantly affected by thermal fatigue processes due to downsizing and high density packaging in electronic components. Accordingly, there is a strong desire in related industries for development of a new nondestructive inspection technology to detect fatigue cracks appearing in these joints. The authors have applied the SP-μCT, a synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography system, to the nondestructive observation of such cracks. However, for planar objects such as PCB substrates, reconstruction of CT images is difficult due to insufficient X-ray transmission along the parallel axis of the substrate. In order to solve this problem, a synchrotron radiation X-ray laminography system was developed to overcome the size limits of such specimens. In this work, this system was applied to the three-dimensional, nondestructive observation of thermal fatigue cracks in solder joints, for which X-ray CT inspection has been extremely difficult. The observed specimens included two typical joint structures formed using Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder: (1) a fine pitch ball grid array (FBGA) joint specimen in which an LSI package is connected to a substrate by solder bumps 360 μm in diameter, and (2) a die-attached specimen in which a 3 mm square ceramic chip is mounted on a substrate. The optical system developed for use in X-ray laminography was constructed to provide a rotation axis with a 30° tilt from the right angle to the X-ray beam, and to obtain X-ray projection images via the beam monitor. The same solder joints were observed successively using the laminography system at beamline BL20XU at SPring-8, the largest synchrotron radiation facility in Japan. In the FBGA type specimen, fatigue cracks were clearly observed to appear at the periphery of the joint interface, and to propagate gradually to the inner regions of the solder bumps as thermal cycling proceeded. In contrast, in the die-attached joint specimen, micro-cracks were observed to appear and propagate through the thin solder layer. An important observation was that these micro-cracks become interconnected prior to propagation of the main fatigue crack. The fatigue crack propagation lifetime was also estimated in both specimens by measuring the crack surface area and calculating the average crack propagation rate through the three-dimensional images. Consequently, the sectional images obtained by the laminography system clearly show the process of crack propagation due to thermal cyclic loading.

Life Prediction of Solder Joints by Damage and Fracture Mechanics

1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Ju ◽  
B. I. Sandor ◽  
M. E. Plesha
Keyword(s):  
Fatigue Life ◽  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Damage Mechanics ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Continuum Damage Mechanics ◽  
Computer Time ◽  
Initial Crack ◽  
Continuum Damage ◽  
Growth Path

Much research has been done on Surface Mount Technology (SMT) using the Finite Element Method (FEM). Little of this, however, has employed fracture mechanics and/or continuum damage mechanics. In this study, we propose two finite element approaches incorporating fracture mechanics and continuum damage mechanics to predict time-dependent and temperature-dependent fatigue life of solder joints. For fracture mechanics, the J-integral fatigue formula, da/dN = C(δJ)m, is used to quantify fatigue crack growth and the fatigue life of J-leaded solder joints. For continuum damage mechanics, the anisotropic creep-fatigue damage formula with partially reversible damage effects is used to find the initial crack, crack growth path, and fatigue life of solder joints. The concept of partially reversible damage is especially novel and, based on laboratory tests we have conducted, appears to be necessary for solder joints undergoing cyclic loading. Both of these methods are adequate to predict the fatigue life of solder joints. The advantage of the fracture mechanics approach is that little computer time is required. The disadvantage is that assumptions must be made on the initial crack position and the crack growth path. The advantage of continuum damage mechanics is that the initial crack and its growth path are automatically evaluated, with the temporary disadvantage of requiring a lot of computer time.

Short Crack Growth Model in a Particulate Composite Using Nonlinear Elastic Fracture Mechanics

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Tsuchin Chu ◽  
Ajay Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Fracture Mechanics ◽  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Particulate Composite ◽  
Initial Crack ◽  
Short Crack ◽  
Video Tape ◽  
J Integral ◽  
Elastic Fracture ◽  
Crack Growth Model

The fracture mechanics model for a long crack does not work very well with short-crack propagation when the initial crack length is less than 5.1 mm (0.2 inch). In order to investigate the short crack effect, a series of tests of particulate composite specimens with long and short cracks were performed and the results recorded on a video tape. This test data was analyzed to determine the fracture parameters. Two initial crack lengths, 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) and 7.6 mm (0.3 inches) were used in the crack propagation tests. Based on the principle of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), the stress intensity factor KI was obtained. The instantaneous time-dependent J-integral for 0.1 and 0.3 inch crack specimens was determined by the NEFM analytical approach. The crack growth behavior was also investigated in the form of J-integral resistance curves. The calculated J-integral was reversed to derive a new KI. The new KI was compared with the measured value obtained from LEFM analysis results to determine the feasibility of applying the linear fracture approach to the non-linear behavior of the material. The results showed that the KI computed from the J-integral increased by 24.5%, and was at the time prior to the peak load for the 0.1 inch crack. For the 0.3 inch crack, the acceptable range was from the onset of propagation to the 9% strain stage (yield strain for the material), where the increase of the new KI was within 15.6%.

Modeling and Analysis of Crack Growth in SnPb and SnAgCu Solder Joints in PBGA Packages: Part II — Crack Propagation

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghyun Kim ◽  
Andrew Mawer ◽  
Glenn Y. Masada ◽  
Tess J. Moon
Keyword(s):  
Crack Propagation ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Propagation Model ◽  
Modeling And Analysis ◽  
Snagcu Solder ◽  
Secondary Cracks ◽  
Aging Conditions ◽  
Length Data ◽  
Crack Growth Rates

Part II of this paper describes an experimental and analytical study of crack propagation in SnPb and SnAgCu solder joints in 357-PBGA packages exposed to 30-minute thermal cycles of 0 to 100°C. Experimental results show that cracks propagate faster at the package interface than at the board interface; secondary cracks from at the package interface, but grow much slower than the primary cracks; and crack growth rates in SnPb joints are about 50% larger than in SnAgCu joints. A crack propagation model, developed using the fracture mechanics approach, calculates the energy release rate at the crack tip. Using this rate and experimental crack length data, crack propagation rates were computed. Simulation results show the effects of solder type and aging conditions on crack propagation rates and the effects of the number of cracks in a joint on crack propagation life.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document