Technical Library | 2019-10-21 09:58:50.0
An ACI Technologies customer inquired regarding printed circuit board(PCB) failures that were becoming increasingly prevalent after the SMT (surface mount technology) manufacturing process. The failures were detected by electrical testing, but were undetermined as to the location and specific devices causing the failures. The failures were suspected to be caused predominately in the BGA (ball grid array) devices located on specific sites on this 16 layer construction. Information that was provided on the nature of the failures (i.e., opens or shorts) included high resistance shorts that were occurring in those specified areas. The surface finish was a eutectic HASL (hot air solder leveling) and the solder paste used was a water soluble Sn/Pb(tin/lead).
Technical Library | 2012-10-04 18:52:43.0
First published in the 2012 IPC APEX EXPO technical conference proceedings... Due to the obsolescence of SnPb BGA components, electronics manufacturers that use SnPb solder paste either have to use lead-free BGAs and adjust the reflow process or re-ball t
Technical Library | 2015-01-08 17:26:59.0
Regardless of the accelerating trend for design and conversion to Pb-free manufacturing, many high reliability electronic equipment producers continue to manufacture and support tin-lead (SnPb) electronic products. Certain high reliability electronic products from the telecommunication, military, and medical sectors manufacture using SnPb solder assembly and remain in compliance with the RoHS Directive (restriction on certain hazardous substances) by invoking the European Union Pb-in-solder exemption. Sustaining SnPb manufacturing has become more challenging because the global component supply chain is converting rapidly to Pb-free offerings and has a decreasing motivation to continue producing SnPb product for the low-volume, high reliability end users. Availability of critical, larger SnPb BGA components is a growing concern
Technical Library | 2013-07-11 15:22:40.0
This research paper will focus on the effect of various parameters that are used to reball a BGA and their effect on the overall shear strength. Factors that will be looked at include the type of BGA (SAC305 or 63Sn/37Pb), the alloy used to reball (SAC405 or 63Sn/37Pb), the type of flux used (Water Soluble or No Clean), and the environment in which reballing takes place (Nitrogen or Ambient).
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.
Technical Library | 2022-10-31 17:09:04.0
The global transition to lead-free (Pb-free) electronics has led component and equipment manufacturers to transform their tin–lead (SnPb) processes to Pb-free. At the same time, Pb-free legislation has granted exemptions for some products whose applications require high long-term reliability. However, due to a reduction in the availability of SnPb components, compatibility concerns can arise if Pb-free components have to be utilized in a SnPb assembly. This compatibility situation of attaching a Pb-free component in a SnPb assembly is generally termed "backward compatibility." This paper presents the results of microstructural analysis of mixed solder joints which are formed by attaching Pb-free solder balls (SnAgCu) of a ball-grid-array component using SnPb paste. The experiment evaluates the Pb phase coarsening in bulk solder microstructure and the study of intermetallic compounds formed at the interface between the solder and the copper pad.
Technical Library | 2021-09-08 14:10:12.0
The Pb-Free Alloy Characterization Program sponsored by International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) is conducting an extensive investigation using accelerated temperature cycling (ATC) to evaluate ball grid array (BGA) thermal fatigue performance of 12 commercial or developmental Sn based Pb-free solder alloys. This paper presents the initial findings from a specific subset of the temperature cycling test matrix. The focus is on comparing alloy performance for two of the most commonly specified temperature cycles, 0 to 100 °C and -40 to 125 °C.
Technical Library | 2023-09-26 19:14:44.0
The transition from tin-lead to lead free soldering in the electronics manufacturing industry has been in progress for the past 10 years. In the interim period before lead free assemblies are uniformly accepted, mixed formulation solder joints are becoming commonplace in electronic assemblies. For example, area array components (BGA/CSP) are frequently available only with lead free Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder balls. Such parts are often assembled to printed circuit boards using traditional 63Sn-37Pb solder paste. The resulting solder joints contain unusual quaternary alloys of Sn, Ag, Cu, and Pb. In addition, the alloy composition can vary across the solder joint based on the paste to ball solder volumes and the reflow profile utilized. The mechanical and physical properties of such Sn-Ag-Cu-Pb alloys have not been explored extensively in the literature. In addition, the reliability of mixed formulation solder joints is poorly understood.
Technical Library | 2014-11-06 16:43:24.0
This paper summarizes the results of recent investigations to examine the effect of electroless nickel process variations with respect to Pb-free (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) solder connections. These investigations included both ENIG and NiPd as surface finishes intended for second level interconnects in BGA applications. Process variations that are suspected to weaken solder joint reliability, including treatment time and pH, were used to achieve differences in nickel layer composition. Immersion gold deposits were also varied, but were directly dependent upon the plated nickel characteristics. In contrast to gold, different electroless palladium thicknesses were independently achieved by treatment time adjustments.
Technical Library | 2022-10-11 20:15:14.0
The increased temperatures associated with Pb-free processes have produced significant challenges for PWB laminates. Newly developed laminates have different curing processes, are commonly filled with ceramic particles or micro-clays and can have higher Tg values. These changes which are aimed at improving the materials resistance to thermal excursions and maintaining electrical integrity through primary attach and rework operations have also had the effect of producing harder resin systems with lower fracture toughness.
