Technical Library | 2015-10-22 17:37:28.0
The objective of this study is to evaluate conformal coatings for mitigation of tin whisker growth. The conformal coatings chosen for the experiment are acrylic, polyurethane and parylene. Also included in this paper are tin whisker inspection results of tin-plated braiding and wire that was exposed to an environment of 50°C with 50% relative humidity for over five years.
Technical Library | 2012-04-26 18:52:37.0
First presented at IPC Apex Expo 2012. The reliability, as tested by thermal cycling, of printed wire boards (PWB) are established by three variables; copper quality, material robustness and design. The copper quality was most influential and could be eva
Technical Library | 2022-03-16 19:48:18.0
Dendrites, Electrochemical Migration (ECM) and parasitic leakage, are usually caused by process related contamination. For example, excess flux, poor handling, extraneous solder, fibers, to name a few. One does not normally relate these fails with environmental causes. However, creep corrosion is a mechanism by which electronic products fail in application, primarily related to sulfur pollution present in the air.1 The sulfur reacts with exposed silver, and to a lesser extent, exposed copper. This paper will explore various aspects of the creep corrosion chemical reaction
Technical Library | 2014-07-24 16:26:34.0
Wire bonding a die to a package has traditionally been performed using either aluminum or gold wire. Gold wire provides the ability to use a ball and stitch process. This technique provides more control over loop height and bond placement. The drawback has been the increasing cost of the gold wire. Lower cost Al wire has been used for wedge-wedge bonds but these are not as versatile for complex package assembly. The use of copper wire for ball-stitch bonding has been proposed and recently implemented in high volume to solve the cost issues with gold. As one would expect, bonding with copper is not as forgiving as with gold mainly due to oxide growth and hardness differences. This paper will examine the common failure mechanisms that one might experience when implementing this new technology.
Technical Library | 2021-07-27 14:49:16.0
Conductive anodic filament (CAF) formation, a failure mode in printed wiring boards (PWBs) that are exposed to high humidity and voltage gradients, has caused catastrophic field failures. CAF is an electrochemical migration failure mechanism in PWBs. In this article, we discuss CAF, the factors that enhance it, and the necessary conditions for its occurrence. Published studies are discussed, and the results of historical mean time to failure models are summarized. Potential reasons for CAF enhancement solutions are discussed, and possible directions in which to develop anti-CAF materials are proposed.
Technical Library | 2015-04-30 20:17:03.0
Higher-speed signal transmission is increasingly required on a printed circuit board to handle massive data in electronic systems. So, signal transmission loss of copper wiring on a printed circuit board has been studied. First, total signal loss was divided into dielectric loss and conductor loss quantitatively based on electromagnetic theory. In particular, the scattering loss due to surface roughness of copper foil has been examined in detail. And the usefulness of the copper foil with low surface roughness has been demonstrated.
Technical Library | 2017-08-31 13:43:48.0
Wire bonded packages using conventional copper leadframe have been used in industry for quite some time. The growth of portable and wireless products is driving the miniaturization of packages resulting in the development of many types of thin form factor packages and cost effective assembly processes. Proper optimization of wire bond parameters and machine settings are essential for good yields. Wire bond process can generate a variety of defects such as lifted bond, cracked metallization, poor intermetallic etc. NSOP – non-stick on pad is a defect in wire bonding which can affect front end assembly yields. In this condition, the imprint of the bond is left on the bond pad without the wire being attached. NSOP failures are costly as the entire device is rejected if there is one such failure on any bond pad. The paper presents some of the failure modes observed and the efforts to address NSOP reduction
Technical Library | 2012-08-02 21:05:14.0
First published in the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO technical conference proceedings. Pure tin is a common finish for copper hook up wire, coaxial cable, ground braid and harness assemblies used on electronic assemblies. Historically there have been fewer reports o
Technical Library | 2020-11-29 22:06:45.0
Plastic laminates are increasingly used as interposers within chip packaging applications. As a component within the package, the laminate is subjected to package moisture sensitivity testing. The moisture requirements of chip packaging laminates are related to ambient moisture absorption and thermal cycling. Printed wiring board (PWB) laminates, however, are gauged on properties relating to wet processes such as resist developing, copper etching, and pumice scrubbing. Consequently, printed wiring board moisture absorption test methods differ from chip packaging test conditions.
Technical Library | 2017-06-13 17:14:59.0
For tin-rich solder alloys, 200 C (392 F) is an extreme temperature. Intermetallic growth in tin-copper systems is known to occur and is believed to bear a direct relationship to failure mechanisms. This study of morphological changes with time at elevated temperatures was made to determine growth rates of tin-copper intermetallics. Preferred growth directions, rates of thickening, and notable changes in morphology were observed.Each of four tin-base alloys was flowed on copper and exposed to temperatures between 100 C and 200 C for time periods of up to 32 days. Metallographic sections were taken and the intermetallics were examined. Intermetallic layer thickening is characterized by several distinct stages. The initial growth of side plates is extremely rapid and exaggerated. This is followed by retrogression (spheroidization) of the elongated peaks and by general thick-