Technical Library | 2014-07-10 17:37:18.0
This paper studies and compares the effects of pull–pull and 3-point bending cyclic loadings on the mechanical fatigue damage behaviors of a solder joint in a surface-mount electronic package.The comparisons are based on experimental investigations using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in-situ technology and nonlinear finite element modeling, respectively. The compared results indicate that there are different threshold levels of plastic strain for the initial damage of solder joints under two cyclic applied loads; meanwhile, fatigue crack initiation occurs at different locations, and the accumulation of equivalent plastic strain determines the trend and direction of fatigue crack propagation. In addition, simulation results of the fatigue damage process of solder joints considering a constitutive model of damage initiation criteria for ductile materials and damage evolution based on accumulating inelastic hysteresis energy are identical to the experimental results. The actual fatigue life of the solder joint is almost the same and demonstrates that the FE modeling used in this study can provide an accurate prediction of solder joint fatigue failure.
Technical Library | 2016-10-20 18:13:34.0
Pad cratering failure has emerged due to the transition from traditional SnPb to SnAgCu alloys in soldering of printed circuit assemblies. Pb-free-compatible laminate materials in the printed circuit board tend to fracture under ball grid array pads when subjected to high strain mechanical loads. In this study, two Pb-free-compatible laminates were tested, plus one dicycure non-Pb-free-compatible as control. One set of these samples were as-received and another was subjected to five reflows. It is assumed that mechanical properties of different materials have an influence on the susceptibility of laminates to fracture. However, the pad cratering phenomenon occurs at the layer of resin between the exterior copper and the first glass in the weave. Bulk mechanical properties have not been a good indicator of pad crater susceptibility. In this study, mechanical characterization of hardness and Young’s modulus was carried out in the critical area where pad cratering occurs using nano-indentation at the surface and in a cross-section. The measurements show higher modulus and hardness in the Pb-free compatible laminates than in the dicy-cured laminate. Few changes are seen after reflow – which is known to have an effect -- indicating that these properties do not provide a complete prediction. Measurements of the copper pad showed significant material property changes after reflow.
Technical Library | 2018-01-04 11:05:34.0
Traceability has grown from being a specialized need for certain safety critical segments of the industry, to now being a recognized value-add tool for the industry as a whole. The perception of traceability data collection however persists as being a burden that may provide value only when the most rare and disastrous of events take place. Disparate standards have evolved in the industry, mainly dictated by large OEM companies in the market create confusion, as a multitude of requirements and definitions proliferate. The intent of the IPC-1782 project is to bring the whole principle and perception of traceability up to date. Traceability, as defined in this standard will represent the most effective quality tool available, becoming an intrinsic part of best practice operations, with the encouragement of automated data collection from existing manufacturing systems, integrating quality, reliability, predictive (routine, preventative, and corrective) maintenance, throughput, manufacturing, engineering and supply-chain data, reducing cost of ownership as well as ensuring timeliness and accuracy all the way from a finished product back through to the initial materials and granular attributes about the processes along the way.
Technical Library | 2018-09-26 20:33:26.0
Bottom terminated components, or BTCs, have been rapidly incorporated into PCB designs because of their low cost, small footprint and overall reliability. The combination of leadless terminations with underside ground/thermal pads have presented a multitude of challenges to PCB assemblers, including tilting, poor solder fillet formation, difficult inspection and – most notably – center pad voiding. Voids in large SMT solder joints can be difficult to predict and control due to the variety of input variables that can influence their formation. Solder paste chemistries, PCB final finishes, and reflow profiles and atmospheres have all been scrutinized, and their effects well documented. Additionally, many of the published center pad voiding studies have focused on optimizing center pad footprint and stencil aperture designs. This study focuses on I/O pad stencil modifications rather than center pad modifications. It shows a no-cost, easily implemented I/O design guideline that can be deployed to consistently and repeatedly reduce void formation on BTC-style packages.
Technical Library | 2019-09-19 00:28:48.0
The symbiotic relationship between solder masks and selective finishes is not new. The soldermask application is one of the key considerations to ensure a successful application of a selective finish. The selective finish is the final chemical step of the PCB manufacturing process, this is when the panels are at their most valuable and are unfortunately not re-workable. Imperfections are not tolerated, even if they are wholly cosmetic. Quality issues often manifest themselves in the form of a 'ping pong' conversation between the fabricators, the soldermask suppliers and the selective finish suppliers. Without tangible evidence these discussions are difficult to resolve and the selective finish process is usually regarded as responsible. This paper will focus on the chemical characteristics and use them to predict or identify potential issues before they occur rather than specifically name 'critical' soldermasks. It is also the intention of this paper to address the potential of a soldermask to react to common yield hiking practices like UV bumping and oven curing. It is hoped that this awareness will help fabricators to ensure maximum yields by asking the right questions. 'Critical’ soldermasks impact all selective finishes. In this paper, practical experience using immersion tin will be used to highlight the relationship between 'critical' soldermasks and some of the issues seen in the field. The paper will include a novel approach to identify re-deposited volatiles after the reflow.
Technical Library | 2020-07-22 19:39:05.0
The PWB industry needs to complete reliability testing in order to define the minimum copper wrap plating thickness requirement for confirming the reliability of PTH structures. Predicting reliability must ensure that the failure mechanism is demonstrated as a wear-out failure mode because a plating wrap failure is unpredictable. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of various copper wrap plating thicknesses through IST testing followed by micro sectioning to determine the failure mechanism and identify the minimum copper wrap thickness required for a reliable PWB. Minimum copper wrap plating thickness has become an even a bigger concern since designers started designing HDI products with buried vias, microvias and through filled vias all in one design. PWBs go through multiple plating cycles requiring planarization after each plating cycle to keep the surface copper to a manageable thickness for etching. The companies started a project to study the relationship between Copper wrap plating thickness and via reliability. The project had two phases. This paper will present findings from both Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Technical Library | 2020-09-08 16:43:32.0
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an ultra-thin film deposition technique that has found many applications owing to its distinct abilities. They include uniform deposition of conformal films with controllable thickness, even on complex three-dimensional surfaces, and can improve the efficiency of electronic devices. This technology has attracted significant interest both for fundamental understanding how the new functional materials can be synthesized by ALD and for numerous practical applications, particularly in advanced nanopatterning for microelectronics, energy storage systems, desalinations, catalysis and medical fields. This review introduces the progress made in ALD, both for computational and experimental methodologies, and provides an outlook of this emerging technology in comparison with other film deposition methods. It discusses experimental approaches and factors that affect the deposition and presents simulation methods, such as molecular dynamics and computational fluid dynamics, which help determine and predict effective ways to optimize ALD processes, hence enabling the reduction in cost, energy waste and adverse environmental impacts. Specific examples are chosen to illustrate the progress in ALD processes and applications that showed a considerable impact on other technologies.
Technical Library | 2022-12-19 18:59:51.0
Material and Process Characterization studies can be used to quantify the harmful effects that might arise from solder flux and other process residues left on external surfaces after soldering. Residues present on an electronic assembly can cause unwanted electrochemical reactions leading to intermittent performance and total failure. Components with terminations that extend underneath the package can trap flux residue. These bottom terminated components are flush with the bottom of the device and can have small solderable terminations located along the perimeter sides of the package. The clearance between power and ground render high electrical forces, which can propagate electrochemical interactions when exposed to atmospheric moisture (harsh environments). The purpose of this research is to predict and understand the functional performance of residues present under single row QFN component packages. The objective of the research study is to develop and collect a set of guidelines for understanding the relationship between ionic contamination and electrical performance of a BTC component when exposed to atmospheric moisture and the trade-offs between electrical, ionic contamination levels, and cleanliness. Utilizing the knowledge gained from undertaking the testing of QFN components and associated DOE, the team will establish a reference Test Suite and Test Spec for cleanliness.
Technical Library | 2023-05-02 19:03:34.0
The demand for 0201 components in consumer products will increase sharply over the next few years due to the need for miniaturization. It is predicted that over 20 billion 0201 components will be used in more than one billion cell phones worldwide by the year 2003. Therefore, research and development on 0201 assembly is becoming a very hot topic. The first step to achieve a successful assembly process is to obtain a good PCB design for 0201 packages. This paper presents the data and criteria of PCB design for 0201 packages, including the pad design for 0201 components, and the minimum pad spacing or component clearance between 0201 components or between 0201 and other components. A systematic study on pad design and pad spacing was undertaken, using two test vehicles and three Design of Experiments (DOEs). In the first DOE, 2 out of 18 types of 0201 pad designs were selected based on process yield. The second DOE was focused on pad spacing, including 10mil, 8mil, 6mil and 4mil. The third experiment was final optimization, using two types of optimized pad designs with 10mil, 8mil and 6mil pad spacing. Through the above experiments, the design guideline for PCB layout for 0201 packages and the assembly process capability are identified.
Technical Library | 2021-07-27 14:54:26.0
Fast forward to current time. Today, our society embraces cleanliness. We expect, demand, and evaluate cleanliness in almost every aspect of our lives. We wash our cars and pets. We maintain high cleanliness standards in our hotels and public spaces. We require cleanliness in our restaurants and hospitals. We sanitize our hands throughout the day to prevent illness. We live in a clean-centric culture. While we drive clean cars, stay in clean hotels and eat clean food, there is one part of our life where we actually abandoned cleanliness. Many of the circuit assemblies that affect almost every aspect of our daily lives are no longer required to be clean. Even though our life experience confirms the link between cleanliness and reliability, happiness, health, and safety, circuit assemblies no longer maintain that "cleanliness is next to Godliness" status. This was not always the case. There was a time when virtually all circuit assemblies were cleaned. The removal of flux and other process-related contamination was commonplace. Cleaning was as normal as soldering. As we bring history into current time, one may relate the fall of Rome and its adoption of personal hygiene and the subsequent decline in human health to the large-scale abandonment of cleanliness expectations of circuit assemblies and the subsequent reliability issues it has created. How did this happen? Has history repeated itself?
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