Technical Library | 2023-07-25 16:50:02.0
Some of the new handheld communication devices offer real challenges to the paste printing process. Normally, there are very small devices like 01005 chip components as well as 0.3 mm pitch uBGA along with other devices that require higher deposits of solder paste. Surface mount connectors or RF shields with coplanarity issues fall into this category. Aperture sizes for the small devices require a stencil thickness in the 50 to 75 um (2-3 mils) range for effective paste transfer whereas the RF shield and SMT connector would like at least 150 um (6 mils) paste height. Spacing is too small to use normal step stencils. This paper will explore a different type of step stencil for this application; a "Two-Print Stencil Process" step stencil. Here is a brief description of a "Two-Print Stencil Process". A 50 to 75 um (2-3 mils) stencil is used to print solder paste for the 01005, 0.3 mm pitch uBGA and other fine pitch components. While this paste is still wet a second in-line stencil printer is used to print all other components using a second thicker stencil. This second stencil has relief pockets on the contact side of the stencil any paste was printed with the first stencil. Design guidelines for minimum keep-out distances between the relief step, the fine pitch apertures, and the RF Shields apertures as well relief pocket height clearance of the paste printed by the first print stencil will be provided.
Technical Library | 2017-09-28 16:36:33.0
These nano-coatings also refine the solder paste brick shape giving improved print definition. These two benefits combine to help the solder paste printing process produce an adequate amount of solder paste in the correct position on the circuit board pads. Today, stencil aperture area ratios from 0.66 down to 0.40 are commonly used and make paste printing a challenge. This paper presents data on small area ratio printing for component designs including 01005 Imperial (0402 metric) and smaller 03015 metric and 0201 metric chip components and 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm pitch micro BGAs.
Technical Library | 2017-06-13 13:28:22.0
The advent of miniaturized electronics for mobile phones and other portable devices has required the assembly of smaller and smaller components. Currently 01005 passives and 0.3 mm CSPs are some of the components that must be assembled to enable these portable electronic devices. It is widely accepted that about 65% of all end of the line defects occur in the stencil printing process. Given all of the above, it is critical that a precision stencil printing process be developed to support miniaturized electronic assembly.This paper is a summary of a significant amount of experimental data and process optimization techniques that were employed to establish a precision SMT printing process.
Technical Library | 2023-05-02 18:54:30.0
Surface-mount PCB components are smaller than their lead-based counterparts and provide a radically higher component density. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes designated by a series of standardized codes curated by the electronics industry. Of these PCB components, the 0201-sized are the smallest, measuring 0.024 x 0.012 in. (0.6 x 0.3 mm) – that's 70% smaller than the previous 0402 level! The 0201 components are designed to improve reliability in space-constrained applications such as portable electronics like smartphones, tablets, robotics and digital cameras, but require delicate handling during the assembly process.
Technical Library | 2008-04-08 17:42:27.0
Concern about the failure of lead-free BGA packages when portable devices such as cell phones are accidentally dropped and a general concern about the resistance of these packages under shock loading has prompted an interest in the impact strength of the soldered BGA connection. This paper reports the results of the measurement of the impact strength of lead-free 0.5±0.01mm diameter BGA spheres on 0.42mm solder mask defined pads on copper/OSP and ENIG substrates using recently developed equipment that can load individual BGA spheres at high strain rates in shear and tension.
Technical Library | 2015-05-28 17:34:48.0
The printed circuit board assembly industry has long embraced the "Smaller, Lighter, Faster" mantra for electronic devices, especially in our ubiquitous mobile devices. As manufacturers increase smart phone functionality and capability, designers must adopt smaller components to facilitate high-density packaging. Measuring over 40% smaller than today's 0402M (0.4mmx0.2mm) microchip, the new 03015M (0.3mm×0.15mm) microchip epitomizes the bleeding-edge of surface mount component miniaturization. This presentation will explore board and component trends, and then delve into three critical areas for successful 03015M adoption: placement equipment, assembly materials, and process controls. Beyond machine requirements, the importance of taping specifications, component shape, solder fillet, spacing gap, and stencil design are explored. We will also examine how Adaptive Process Control can increase production yields and reduce defects by placing components to solder position rather than pad. Understanding the process considerations for 03015M component mounting today will help designers and manufacturers transition to successful placement tomorrow.
Technical Library | 2023-05-02 18:50:24.0
Surface-mount PCB components are smaller than their lead-based counterparts and provide a radically higher component density. They are available in a variety of shapes and sizes designated by a series of standardized codes curated by the electronics industry. Of these PCB components, the 0201-sized are the smallest, measuring 0.024 x 0.012 in. (0.6 x 0.3 mm) – that's 70% smaller than the previous 0402 level! The 0201 components are designed to improve reliability in space-constrained applications such as portable electronics like smartphones, tablets, robotics and digital cameras, but require delicate handling during the assembly process. Given the miniaturized dimensions of an 0201 package, it is crucial that the mounting process abide by a series of guidelines regarding the design of the PCB mounting pads and solderable metallization, PCB circuit trace width, solder paste selection, package placement and overages, solder paste reflow, solder stencil screening, and final inspection. It's advisable that one review this information when procuring the services of a PCB assembler.
Technical Library | 2022-12-05 16:28:06.0
The work evaluates the impact of latent heat (LH) absorbed or released by a solder alloy during melting or solidification, respectively, on changes of dimensions of materials surrounding of the solder alloy. Our sample comprises a small printed circuit board (PCB) with a blind via filled with lead-free alloy SAC305. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to obtain the amount of LH per mass and a thermomechanical analyzer was used to measure the thermally induced deformation. A plateau during melting and a peak during solidification were detected during the course of dimension change. The peak height reached 1.6 μm in the place of the heat source and 0.3 μm in the distance of 3 mm from the source. The data measured during solidification was compared to a numerical model based on the finite element method. An excellent quantitative agreement was observed which confirms that the transient expansion of PCB during cooling can be explained by the release of LH from the solder alloy during solidification. Our results have important implications for the design of PCB assemblies where the contribution of recalescence to thermal stress can lead to solder joint failure.
Technical Library | 2013-03-14 17:19:28.0
Commercial-off-the-shelf ball/column grid array packaging (COTS BGA/CGA) technologies in high reliability versions are now being considered for use in a number of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) electronic systems. Understanding the process and quality assurance (QA) indicators for reliability are important for low-risk insertion of these advanced electronic packages. This talk briefly discusses an overview of packaging trends for area array packages from wire bond to flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA) as well as column grid array (CGA). It then presents test data including manufacturing and assembly board-level reliability for FCBGA packages with 1704 I/Os and 1-mm pitch, fine pitch BGA (FPBGA) with 432 I/Os and 0.4-mm pitch, and PBGA with 676 I/Os and 1.0-mm pitch packages. First published in the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO technical conference proceedings.
Technical Library | 2020-10-27 02:07:31.0
For companies that choose to take the Pb-free exemption under the European Union's RoHS Directive and continue to manufacture tin-lead (Sn-Pb) electronic products, there is a growing concern about the lack of Sn-Pb ball grid array (BGA) components. Many companies are compelled to use the Pb-free Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) BGA components in a Sn-Pb process, for which the assembly process and solder joint reliability have not yet been fully characterized. A careful experimental investigation was undertaken to evaluate the reliability of solder joints of SAC BGA components formed using Sn-Pb solder paste. This evaluation specifically looked at the impact of package size, solder ball volume, printed circuit board (PCB) surface finish, time above liquidus and peak temperature on reliability. Four different BGA package sizes (ranging from 8 to 45 mm2) were selected with ball-to-ball pitch size ranging from 0.5mm to 1.27mm. Two different PCB finishes were used: electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) and organic solderability preservative (OSP) on copper. Four different profiles were developed with the maximum peak temperatures of 210oC and 215oC and time above liquidus ranging from 60 to 120 seconds using Sn-Pb paste. One profile was generated for a lead-free control. A total of 60 boards were assembled. Some of the boards were subjected to an as assembled analysis while others were subjected to an accelerated thermal cycling (ATC) test in the temperature range of -40oC to 125oC for a maximum of 3500 cycles in accordance with IPC 9701A standard. Weibull plots were created and failure analysis performed. Analysis of as-assembled solder joints revealed that for a time above liquidus of 120 seconds and below, the degree of mixing between the BGA SAC ball alloy and the Sn-Pb solder paste was less than 100 percent for packages with a ball pitch of 0.8mm or greater. Depending on package size, the peak reflow temperature was observed to have a significant impact on the solder joint microstructural homogeneity. The influence of reflow process parameters on solder joint reliability was clearly manifested in the Weibull plots. This paper provides a discussion of the impact of various profiles' characteristics on the extent of mixing between SAC and Sn-Pb solder alloys and the associated thermal cyclic fatigue performance.
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