Research Advances of Composite Solder Material Fabricated via Powder Metallurgy Route

2012 ◽  
Vol 626 ◽  
pp. 791-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh ◽  
Muhammad Hafiz Hazizi ◽  
Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah ◽  
N.Z. Noriman ◽  
Ramani Mayapan ◽  
...  

Researches and studies on composite solder have been done by many researchers in an effort to develop viable lead-free solders which can replace the conventional lead-based solders as lead is considered as toxic. Solder materials developed by composite approach showed improvement in their properties and importantly it improved their service performance when compared with solder materials developed by other methods. This paper reviews the solder properties of various types of composite lead-free solder that were fabricated via powder metallurgy route. The fabrication processes of the composite solder material by using powder metallurgy route which involved mixing the powder homogeneously, compaction of the mixed powder and sintering the green body were discussed in detail. The types of reinforcements used in order to enhance its properties and the roles of the reinforcement used were also discussed in detail. Properties of a desirable composite solder and the effects of the reinforcement addition to the composite solder microstructure, changes in its wettability and improvement of its mechanical properties were later discussed in this paper. In conclusion, by reviewing various research advances in composite solder material, a solder material with high solder joint reliability at elevated temperature have yet to be found. Thus, a novel composite solder material with higher solder joint reliability at room and elevated temperature was proposed.

Author(s):  
Felix Bruno ◽  
Purushothaman Damodaran ◽  
Krishnaswami Srihari ◽  
Guhan Subbarayan

The electronics manufacturing industry is gradually migrating towards to a lead-free environment. During this transition, there will be a period where lead-free materials will need to coexist with those containing lead on the same assembly. The use of tin-lead solder with lead-free parts and lead-free solder with components containing lead can hardly be avoided. If it can be shown that lead-free Ball Grid Arrays (BGAs) can be successfully assembled with tin-lead solder while concurrently obtaining more than adequate solder joint reliability, then the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will accept lead-free components regardless of the attachment process or material used. Consequently, the Electronics Manufacturing Service (EMS) providers need not carry both the leaded and the unleaded version of a component. Solder voids are the holes and recesses that occur in the joints. Some say the presence of voids is expected to affect the mechanical properties of a joint and reduce strength, ductility, creep, and fatigue life. Some believe that it may slow down crack propagation by forcing a re-initiation of the crack. Consequently, it has the ability to stop a crack. The primary objective of this research effort is to develop a robust process for mixed alloy assemblies such that the occurrence of voids is minimized. Since there is no recipe currently available for mixed alloy assemblies, this research will study and 'optimize' each assembly process step. The difference between the melting points of lead-free (217°C) and tin-lead (183°C) solder alloys is the most important constraint in a mixed alloy assembly. The effect of voids on solder joint reliability in tin-lead assembly is well documented. However, its effect on lead-free and mixed alloy assemblies has not received due attention. The secondary objective of this endeavor is to determine the percentage of voids observed in mixed alloy assemblies and compare the results to both tin-lead and lead-free assemblies. The effect of surface finish, solder volume, reflow profile parameters, and component pitch on the formation of voids is studied across different assemblies. A designed experiments approach is followed to develop a robust process window for mixed alloy assemblies. Reliability studies are also conducted to understand the effect of voids on solder joint failures when subjected to accelerated testing conditions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 000062-000067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Charbonneau ◽  
Hans Ohman ◽  
Marc Fortin

The prediction of long term solder joint reliability, (SJR), of microelectronic devices and packaging solutions continues to challenge the microelectronic packaging industry, particularly with the introduction of lead-free materials, the push for higher performance (frequency/speed/thermal) and lower unit cost. High performance packages are generally custom designed and therefore have minimal industry data on configuration specific reliability performance. In this application, the package substrate coefficient of thermal expansion, (CTE), was closely matched to the die resulting in a relatively large CTE mismatch between the package and organic PCB. In addition, the package RF and thermal performance requirements required this particular solution to be configured as a “cavity down” perimeter ball array with a large central ground pad to electrically couple the package to the PCB. Given the package's unique design requirements and CTE mismatch, even modest daily temperature swings of 20°C usually found in a controlled or “Central Office” environment could have an adverse impact on the interconnect reliability. This study provides an overview of the solder joint reliability assessment methodologies performed for a custom design lead-free, high performance RF package as part of the requirements to demonstrate compliance to product specifications. SJR life predictions were made for varying package BGA configurations using a multi-tiered approach using constitutive material models, thermo-mechanical finite element simulations, and material specific fatigue models. Empirical accelerated life testing was performed and a life prediction obtained through modeling was validated. Finally, statistical failure distributions were fit to empirical data and discussed in the context of absolute solder life predictions of small fractions unit failures, (100ppm).


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