Technical Library | 2023-04-17 21:37:32.0
Ionic contamination is a leading cause in the degradation and corrosion of electronic assemblies, leading to lifetime limitation and field failure (Fig. 1). Ionic residue comes from a variety of sources shown in Fig. 2 opposite: Examples of ionic contaminants: * Anions * Cations * Weak Organic Acid
Technical Library | 2008-03-13 13:02:50.0
Three full-field optical techniques, shadow moiré, fringe projection and digital image correlation (DIC), are used to measure temperature-dependent warpage for a PBGA package and a PCB component land site from room temperature to 250ºC. The results are qualitatively similar, but imaging resolution and noise properties create offsets between coplanarity values. The paper summarizes strengths and weaknesses for each technique.
Technical Library | 2014-03-27 14:32:24.0
The surface finish you select will have a large influence on quality, reliability and cost. It is a complex decision that impacts many areas of the business. Select a finish that optimal for the business (and not just one function). Know that there are engineering tricks to improve on weak areas of each finish. Stay current in this field because new developments continue to be made.
Technical Library | 2007-06-06 15:25:30.0
Though today's microvias and high aspect plated through holes (PTH's) look nothing like the earliest through holes of 40 years ago, the PTH in its various forms remains the “weak link” and most critical element of printed wiring boards and laminate chip carriers (...) The paper outlines an approach to evaluating PTH reliability and quality that involves characterizing PTH life across a range of temperatures to reveal intricacies not seen by testing at a single delta-T, and certainly difficult to predict by modeling alone.
Technical Library | 2010-07-08 19:49:59.0
Aging characteristics of new lead free solder alloys are in question by many experts because of higher amount of tin’s effect on the diffusion of other metals, primarily copper, to create undesirable boundary intermetallics over long periods of time and even moderately elevated temperatures. A primary layer of intermetallics, Cu6Sn5 forms as the liquid solder makes contact with the solid copper substrate. This reaction however ceases as the solder temperature falls below that of liquidus. A secondary intermetallic Cu3Sn1, an undesirable weak and brittle layer, is thought to form over time and may be accelerated by even mildly elevated temperatures in electronic modules such as laptops under power. This project was designed to quantify the growth rate of Cu3Sn1 over an extended period of time in a thermal environment similar to a laptop in the power on mode.
Technical Library | 2019-06-06 00:19:02.0
More and more people and things are using electronic devices to communicate. Subsequently, many electronic products, in particular mobile base stations and core network nodes, need to handle enormous amounts of data per second. One important link in this communication chain is high speed pressfit connectors that are often used to connect mother boards and back planes in core network nodes. These new high speed pressfit connectors have several hundreds of thin, short and weak pins that are prone to damage. Small variations in via hole dimensions or hole plating thickness affect the connections; if the holes are too small, the pins may be bentor permanently deformed and if the holes are too large they will not form gas tight connections.The goal of this project was to understand how rework of these new high speed pressfit connectors affects connection strengths, hole wall deformations and plating cracks.
Technical Library | 2016-01-21 16:52:27.0
Solder paste has long been viewed as "black magic". This "black magic" can easily be dispelled through a solder paste evaluation. Unfortunately, solder paste evaluation can be a challenge for electronic assemblers. Interrupting the production schedule to perform an evaluation is usually the first hurdle. Choosing the solder paste properties to test is simple, but testing for these properties can be difficult. Special equipment or materials may be required depending upon the tests that are chosen. Once the testing is complete, how does one make the decision to choose a solder paste? Is the decision based on gut feel or hard data?This paper presents a process for evaluating solder pastes using a variety of methods. These methods are quick to run and are challenging, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of solder pastes. Methods detailed in this paper include: print volume, stencil life, response to pause, open time, tack force over time, wetting, solder balling, graping, voiding, accelerated aging, and others.
Technical Library | 2013-01-17 15:37:21.0
A problem exists with electroless nickel / immersion gold (ENIG) surface finish on some pads, on some boards, that causes the solder joint to separate from the nickel surface, causing an open. The solder has wet and dissolved the gold. A weak tin to nickel intermetallic bond initially occurs, but the intermetallic bond cracks and separates when put under stress. Since the electroless nickel / immersion gold finish performs satisfactory in most applications, there had to be some area within the current chemistry process window that was satisfactory. The problem has been described as a 'BGA Black Pad Problem' or by HP as an 'Interfacial Fracture of BGA Packages…'[1]. A 24 variable experiment using three different chemistries was conducted during the ITRI (Interconnect Technology Research Institute) ENIG Project, Round 1, to investigate what process parameters of the chemical matrix were potentially satisfactory to use and which process parameters of the chemical matrix need to be avoided. The ITRI ENIG Project has completed Round 1 of testing and is now in the process of Round 2 TV (Test Vehicle) build.
| 1 |
