Technical Library | 2013-06-13 15:31:24.0
Electromigration (EM) is a mass transportation mechanism driven by electron wind force, thermal gradient, chemical potential and stress gradient. According to Moore’s law, number of transistors on integrated circuits (ICs) doubles approximately every 2 years. Moore’s law holds true since its introduction in 1970s. This insatiable demand for smaller ICs size, larger integration and higher Input/Output (IO) count of microelectronics has made ball grid array (BGA) the most promising connection type in electronic packaging industry. This trend, however, renders EM reliability of solders joints a major bottleneck to hinder further development of electronics industry...
Electronic Packaging Laboratory, State University of New York
Technical Library | 2021-11-03 16:36:36.0
Laser reflow soldering is an important technology in electronic components processing. In this paper, we presented a simple but efficient method to achieve reflow soldering process with gradient energy band created by just two parallel mirrors. The detailed influence of the variety of optical parameters on the soldering process has been analyzed by using the finite element method. And the modulation of the optical parameters on reflow soldering parameters also has been demonstrated. In our experiment, one HR mirror and one-mirror with transmissivity of 10% have been used to create a gradient energy band with an incident laser power of 50W. In summary, both the simulations and the experiments show that the typical reflow soldering profile has been acquired by the optical system. The high quality joints on both the front and rear surface of the capacitor can be acquired by just one surface radiation of the optical system.
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 | 1999-05-07 08:57:51.0
As a first step towards a perceptual user interface, a computer vision color tracking algorithm is developed and applied towards tracking human faces. Computer vision algorithms that are intended to form part of a perceptual user interface must be fast and efficient. They must be able to track in real time yet not absorb a major share of computational resources: other tasks must be able to run while the visual interface is being used. The new algorithm developed here is based on a robust nonparametric technique for climbing density gradients to find the mode (peak) of probability distributions called the mean shift algorithm.
Technical Library | 2011-10-20 22:03:30.0
Results of FEM modelling of thermal stress analysis in printed circuit boards are given in the article. It is shown that thermal stress alone is not solely caused by differences in coefficients of thermal expansion of individual layers. The emergence of thermal stress is subject to both the layered structure of the wall and given boundary conditions, as well as the existence of a temperature gradient in the direction normal to the surface of the wall. A practical application focuses on the issue of recycling of PCB with the effort to achieve separation of layers due to thermal stress. Role modelling of thermal stress in this area lies in predicting the possibility of separation, depending on the type of thermal stress and material parameters.
Technical Library | 2023-02-13 19:23:18.0
Spontaneously forming tin whiskers, which emerge unpredictably from pure tin surfaces, have regained prevalence as a topic within the electronics research community. This has resulted from the ROHS-driven conversion to "lead-free" solderable finish processes. Intrinsic stresses (and/or gradients) in plated films are considered to be a primary driving force behind the growth of tin whiskers. This paper compares the formation of tin whiskers on nanocrystalline and conventional polycrystalline copper deposits. Nanocrystalline copper under-metal deposits were investigated, in terms of their ability to mitigate whisker formation, because of their fine grain size and reduced film stress. Pure tin films were deposited using matte and bright electroplating, electroless plating, and electron beam evaporation. The samples were then subjected to thermal cycling conditions in order to expedite whisker growth. The resultant surface morphologies and whisker formations were evaluated.
Technical Library | 2024-07-24 00:51:44.0
A blade server system (BSS) utilizes voltage regulator modules (VRMs), in the form of quad flat no-lead (QFN) devices, to provide power distribution to various components on the system board. Depending on the power requirements of the circuit, these VRMs can be mounted as single devices or banked together. In addition, the power density of the VRM can be high enough to warrant heat dissipation through the use of a heat sink. Typically, at field conditions (FCs), the BSS are powered on and off up to four times per day, with their ambient temperature cycling between 258C and 808C. This cyclical temperature gradient drives inelastic strain in the solder joints due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the QFN and the circuit card. In addition, the heat sink, coupled with the QFN and the circuit card, can induce additional inelastic solder joint strain, resulting in early solder joint fatigue failure. To understand the effect of the heat sink mounting, a FEM (finite element model of four QFNs mounted to a BSS circuit card was developed. The model was exercised to calculate the maximum strain energy in a critical joint due to cyclic strain, and the results were compared for a QFN with and without a heat sink. It was determined that the presence of the heat sink did contribute to higher strain energy and therefore could lead to earlier joint failure. Although the presence of the heat sink is required, careful design of the mounting should be employed to provide lateral slip, essentially decoupling the heat sink from the QFN joint strain. Details of the modeling and results, along with DIC (digital image correlation) measurements of heat sink lateral slip, are presented.
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