Technical Library | 2020-11-09 16:59:53.0
A customer contacted ACI Technologies regarding a high failure rate of their assemblies. They provided assemblies to be X-rayed and inspected for the purpose of identifying any process related issues such as (but not limited to) solder and assembly workmanship and evidence of damage due to moisture related problems during reflow (a.k.a. "popcorning"). Moisture damage usually appears as physical damage to the component. The first indication of moisture damage would be externally observable changes to the package in the form of bulging or fractures to the outer surface of the component, an example of which is shown in Figure 1. Internally observable indicators of moisture damage typically include fractures to the die inside the package and lifted or fractured wire bonds. These conditions would be apparent during transmissive X-ray inspection. Another symptom of moisture related damage would be inconsistent solder joint sizes that result from package deformation during the liquidus phase of the reflow process. None of these indicators of moisture related damage were present on the customer samples.
Technical Library | 2020-01-13 09:48:06.0
Is it possible to coat electronic assemblies with a thin, uniform in thickness, pinhole-free, moisture impervious, truly hermetic (by the MIL-STD-883 definition) film of ceramic material that is far more affordable than placing the same electronic assemblies in the currently used glass-to-metal sealed, thick, heavy, metal-and-ceramic-based hermetic enclosures? Since the coating (called a “conformal coating”) would be both hermetic (moisture proof) and hundreds or thousands of times thinner than the currently used enclosures, it would be both less expensive, lighter, and still just as effective in excluding moisture (hermetic) as the current heavy, bulky, expensive electronic enclosures are.
Technical Library | 2019-09-27 09:14:41.0
One of the most critical factors in preventing corrosion from occurring in electronics is maintaining the state of cleanliness. This is not an easy feat to achieve. Corrosion is defined as the deterioration of a material or its properties due to a reaction of that material with its chemical environment. [1] So, to prevent corrosion from occurring, either the material or the chemical environment must be adjusted. Adjusting the material usually means application of a protective coating or replacing a more reactive material with a less reactive material. Adjusting the chemical environment usually means removing ionic species through cleaning, and removing moisture, usually with a conformal coating or hermetic package. Ionic species and moisture are problematic because they form an electrolyte which is able to conduct ions and electricity. Any metal that comes into contact with the electrolyte can begin to corrode.
Technical Library | 1999-08-27 09:27:10.0
Conformal coating is a material that is applied to electronic products or assemblies to protect them from solvents, moisture, dust or other contaminants that may cause harm. Coating also prevents dendrite growth, which may result in product failure. This paper will discuss the variables that affect the application of conformal coatings, and review in detail those variables that impact the process of selective coating of printed circuit boards.
Technical Library | 2013-09-25 20:57:24.0
Conformal coating is an enabling process that allows for the ruggedizing of electronic devices and modules. As the process increases the durability of electronics that are subjected to various end-use environmental conditions, it adds value to the product. While it does add value, consumers and manufacturers expect the electronics to work when subjected to dirt, humidity, moisture, corrosive materials, and various other contaminants. This expectation results in a drive to minimize the cost of the process. The lowest cost of ownership for a conformal coating process occurs by utilizing automated selective conformal coating equipment.
Technical Library | 2019-06-03 15:32:40.0
ACI Technologies was pleased to assist a customer by conducting elemental analysis on several assemblies displaying severe corrosion. Several board assemblies had failed in the field and exhibited areas of corrosion in close proximity to onboard components. The most common source of corrosion on electronic assemblies is residual flux. Fluxes are specific chemistries applied during the soldering process which improve the wetting of the solder to both the pad and component when forming the solder joint. They can be highly reactive chemicals that, if left on the assemblies, can lead to corrosion, electrical degradation, and decreased reliability. In the presence of moisture and electrical bias, flux residue can enable dendritic growth as a result of electrochemical migration (ECM).
Technical Library | 2019-12-05 13:30:46.0
Conformal coatings are regularly employed to protect the surface of a soldered printed circuit board assembly from moisture, chemicals in the PCBA's service environment, and foreign objects or debris. Conformal coatings are nonconductive and therefore cannot be placed on any location where electrical contact will be required, such as connector pins, test points, and sockets. Conformal coatings are also not permitted on any mechanical interface location, such as mounting holes or brackets, to assure the proper fit between items in the final assembly. In order to apply conformal coatings to an assembly and comply with the restrictions on keep-out areas, masking is employed to protect those surfaces.
Technical Library | 2021-02-20 00:55:47.0
Customers must be able to rely on accurate humidity indication as an assurance of SMD quality and fitness for processing and use. Without it, they might accept SMDs from suppliers that have already been irreparably damaged by moisture during storage or transit. Or, they might approve for processing SMDs that have been improperly or insufficiently heat-dried. Beyond the processing questions, there are financial questions: Where did the dry pack problems originate and who--supplier, customer, shipper--is financially responsible for the damaged SMDs? In response, Clariant, the originator of the color change humidity indicator card, and a member of the JEDEC's Subcommittee 14.1, "Reliability and Test Methods for Packaged Devices," created a new "non-reversible" halogen and cobalt dichloride free humidity indicator card. This HIC combines two reversible indicators (5% and 10%) with a new non-reversible (60% RH) indicator spot. (Figure 1) The 5% and 10% reversible spots work the way similar indicators do: they change color from blue (dry), to lavender, to pink (wet) to indicate humidity exposure at the indicated levels. If humidity levels drop, they will gradually revert back to blue.
Technical Library | 2019-04-07 22:47:46.0
How to protect your PCB from moisture related damage? J-STD-033 put forward stricter regulation on the MSD exposure environment,when the exposure time exceed the tolerated,the moisture will penetrate into electronics,Moreover, the newest RoHS regulation will rise soldering temperature,the sudden high temperature will lead to expansion and cracking on electronic components. In order to decrease the moisture defect on PCB for the manufacturers in China,Climatest Symor® begin to concentrated on electronic dry cabinet R&D since early 1990s,we specialize in handling temperature and humidity for 20 years,and we provide best solution for PCB storage.
Technical Library | 2019-04-11 05:59:57.0
Are your MSD safely stored? As humidity is found to be one of the key reasons for rejected products, many manufacturers are taking measures to control the humidity to increase their production efficiency and save the cost. In the industries of semi-conductor and electronics, the key section in which the rejected products are most probably to be made is that during the heating process of SMT, the IC(e.g.,PBGA,BGA,or TQFD) is likely to crack and thus cause non-effective welding because of the humidity. Climatest Symor® auto dry cabinet is the best solution to avoid the cracking and non#2;effective welding by dehumidifying the surface of your components. The dry unit can be used for 20 years without replacement,and controller is calibration free within 5 years.We attach dry cabinet application with different humidity range,welcome to download.
